


In the Dark

by Peyton_0727



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Multi, Shameless Smut, Smut, endless teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-04-15 00:52:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 80,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14148330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peyton_0727/pseuds/Peyton_0727
Summary: There was only one way that Jughead Jones would describe Betty Cooper: Perfect Girl Next Door. Her bubbly, always optimistic attitude was downright annoying and if it wasn’t for the pure satisfaction he got from riling her up- he probably would never speak to her at all. That is until Betty is dared to pick him up at a bar. Now Betty Cooper is all he can think about and he is determined now more than ever to knock down that Perfect Girl Next Door exterior.There was only one way that Betty Cooper would describe Jughead Jones: arrogant a**hole. His brooding bad boy demeanor was absolutely annoying and if it wasn’t for the pure excitement she got from challenging him in a class debate- she probably would never speak to him at all. That is until Betty is dared to make Jughead laugh by her friends. Now Jughead Jones is all she can think about and she determined now more than ever to knock down that brooding bad boy exterior.These two consider each other polar opposites, but after a innocent game of truth-or-dare Betty and Jughead quickly find that it’s true what they say about opposites: they attract.





	1. Truth or Dare

**Chapter 1 - Truth or Dare**

 

Betty walked quickly down the slick sidewalk half reflecting on her day, half thinking about how winter break was just two weeks away. She wasn’t originally planning on going home for the winter break, she was just going to make up some excuse to her Mom and then stay at her apartment. It would be quiet and peaceful and her boss at the library already told her she could pick up extra shifts even though campus would be deserted. The thought of being at home with her mother for a whole week had given her pure anxiety.

 

Betty’s home life was complicated. When Betty was in high school, her older sister Polly had gotten pregnant. Her parents had absolutely freaked and sent Polly away. Betty shuddered at the memory of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Polly eventually came home and kept her babies, but it ended up tearing her parents apart. Not to mention, Polly never forgave her parents and cut all ties, escaping to a farm upstate that Betty was 90% sure was run by a cult. They literally let Polly name her children the historic yet slightly horrifying ‘Juniper & Dagwood’! Someone only crazy enough to be in a cult would’ve let Polly name her babies that.

 

Betty rounded the corner towards her destination, deep in her thoughts. Betty remembered the look on her mother’s face when Betty told her that Polly had the babies and didn’t even bother calling. Desolation, anguished misery, emptiness. There had been multiple times after Polly had left that Betty held her mother while she sobbed over the loss of her daughter. It was a tough situation- Betty understood why Polly couldn’t forgive their parents but she also understood why her mother wanted better for Polly.

 

Part of the reason Betty’s home life was complicated was because of her relationship with her mother, Alice Cooper. Her mother had grown up on the rougher, Southside of her hometown, Riverdale. From what Betty could gather, her mother ran with a “tough crowd”. However, after her mother got arrested and later on pregnant, Alice severed all ties with her old friends and moved to the Northside of town to start fresh. At the time, Alice and Hal Cooper had been friends. According to Alice, Hal had promised her a better life on the Northside and promised to provide for her. Together they went off to journalism school and then returned to their hometown to take over Betty’s grandparent’s newspaper business.

 

Growing up, Betty always thought her mother moved to the Northside of town because she wanted a better life for her children. It was the only excuse Betty could think of to explain why her mother was so critical of her. Betty always had to have perfect grades, perfect outfits, be the perfect daughter. If Betty was ever anything but perfect Alice would come down on her hard and raise the perfection bar a little bit higher. After Polly left Betty couldn’t help but wonder if her mother moved away from the Southside to escape her past only to realize that she had settled.

 

Despite their rocky relationship, after the devastating news about Polly, Betty had felt so terrible for her mother. So terrible in fact that her urge to be the perfect daughter kicked in as Betty tried to right her mother’s only regret and set out to find her long-lost brother - Chic Cooper.

 

Of course, Alice Cooper had insisted that her long-lost son move in with them. Betty’s father, the definition of a suburban father Hal, was absolutely furious. He had given Alice an ultimatum, _“Me or_ the _boy”_ and cue the surprise- Alice picked her newly acquainted son over Hal. Betty sighed audibly as she went through her mental checklist of the shit storm that happened after that: _1- Dad moved out, 2- Dad cheated on Mom, 3- Mom and Dad got divorced._

 

In a matter of weeks, Betty went from having a perfect life (or looking back a perfect lie) to, for lack of better words, outright shit. Alice was and frankly still is… borderline crazy. It was unfathomable for Betty to go back home and be suffocated by the same white picket fence that was the Cooper family facade. She had texted Chic yesterday to give him a heads up that she was not coming home for winter break and he called her practically screaming.

 

“No way Betty! You’re the reason I’m here with your crazy mother by myself. You can not skip out on winter break. Over. My. Dead. Body.”

Betty sighed… the guilt. People just loved to tar and feather her with it.

 

Betty looked up at the red neon sign in front of her, “McNally’s” and breathed a sigh of relief. At least her friends could keep her mind busy.

 

Betty walked in the local college bar and smiled instantly when she saw her friends sitting in their usual spot in the corner. Ever since all of her friends turned 21, coming to McNally’s on Friday night had become a ritual. Betty liked McNally’s, it was fairly big compared to other hole-in-the-wall places in the college town. It had large bay windows in the front (which Betty loved for people watching), a long bar that stretched the length of the place, and booths for people to sit in as well. The bartenders were all extremely friendly and it was never too crowded.

 

When Betty walked up to the table, she received a wolf whistle from Veronica. Betty laughed out loud, feeling her cheeks hear.

 

“Damn B, I love that top! Where’d you get it?” Veronica asked.

 

“I may have borrowed it from your closet.” Betty said sheepishly.

 

“I thought so. No matter, it looks better on you anyway!” Veronica said.

 

Veronica Lodge was one of Betty’s two roommates. They had been paired together at random during their freshman year and to Betty's’ surprise they quickly became friends. Veronica’s Dad was in prison and she and her mother were building the family business from the ground up. Lucky for them, Veronica’s parents still had a few apartments in the city so, after freshman year, Betty and Veronica moved into one of them and lived there since. Betty considered herself lucky because she paid peanuts next to rent.

 

“Thanks, V.” Betty said, letting go of the breath she’d been holding.

 

Veronica never seemed to mind when Betty borrowed her clothes but Betty always aired on the side of caution- just in case.

 

Betty threw her jacket over the back of her seat and sat down, her feet already aching in the wedge heeled booties she decided to sport for the evening. Betty greeted her other friends Kevin, Reggie, Cheryl, her former roommate, and Archie - Veronica’s boyfriend. They had all been a close-knit group since freshman year. Betty always thought they were a strange bunch, they all came from different walks of life, maybe that was the reason they all complimented each other so well.

 

Kevin reached out and played with the end of the tips of her hair.

 

“This is getting long Betty! Soon enough you’ll have a sexy mane!”

 

Betty threw her head back and laughed at Kevin’s remark. One of the things she decided to do last year was grow her hair out. She had always kept it short and in a pristine ponytail but Betty really like her hair long. These days she usually just threw leave in conditioner or some dry shampoo in it and put a little bit of it up so her hair would stay out of her face.

 

“Can I get you a drink Coop?” Reggie asked.

 

“Sure, a rum and coke would be great.” Betty said, smiling at him.

 

Reggie gave her his megawatt smile in return, “Sure thing. Be right back.”

 

Betty dropped her gaze to her lap as Reggie walked away. Things were getting awkward between them these days. Betty knew Reggie liked her (for an odd reason) but the truth was, Betty didn’t feel the same way in return. Although, Kevin and Veronica would like to think otherwise.

 

Betty could feel eyes on her and when she looked up both Kevin and Veronica were eyeing her suspiciously.

 

“What?” Betty asked.

 

Veronica and Kevin looked at each other smirking and then back at Betty.

 

“We’re just wondering when you’re going to finally give poor Reggie a chance.” Kevin said.

 

“Yeah B, we all know he’s a good guy. You should just give him a chance, you haven’t been on a date in… well… ever”

 

Betty rolled her eyes. She loved Kevin and Veronica but they were always trying to set her up with someone. It was annoying. Betty didn’t have time to have a relationship, she was way too busy. She couldn’t imagine trying to date someone and get to know them on top of her 5 classes, three jobs, and a side gig. She barely had time to keep a healthy diet and a good skin regimen. How would she have time to do her makeup and her hair and shave her legs?! Betty shuddered at the thought already feeling tired.

 

“Kevin… Veronica…” Betty said like she was scolding small children, “Reggie is really great but he is like a brother to me. Why would I lead him on when I don’t like him that way?”

 

It was Kevin’s turn to roll his eyes, “Whatever you say Betty Cooper. You are always friend zoning the hottest guys.”

 

“Like who?” Betty questioned.

 

Kevin and Veronica looked at each other again and then back at Betty.

 

“Well let’s see, there was Chuck Clayton freshman year.” Kevin started.

 

“Oh yes, and let’s not forget poor Trev in her creative writing class.” Veronica continued.

 

“He made the best coffee!” Kevin exclaimed.

 

“Oh! Then there was-“

 

“Ok, stop.” Betty said holding her hand up halting Veronica’s words.

 

Veronica giggled, “You asked B.”

Betty rolled her eyes dramatically again for good measure and then swung her legs towards Cheryl.

 

“Cheryl, how’s your love life going?” Betty asked sweetly.

 

Cheryl glared at her. “Don’t start that shit with me Betty.”

 

Betty laughed, “At least someone else knows how I feel.”

 

Betty turned to Kevin and Veronica and loudly whispered, “Why don’t you try setting her up with someone!”

 

Kevin’s eyes widen suddenly as he shook his head in a _that’s a hard no_ motion. Betty bit her bottom lip trying to stifle a giggle.

 

“I saw that Keller.” Cheryl said, glaring at him too.

 

Betty shrugged good-naturedly. Cheryl Blossom was what Betty liked to call a wild card. She was a fierce rich bitch who could cut you worse with her words than with an actual knife. She was really rude to the average person and all too often Betty had to remind her to filter what she said. Cheryl, however, was also insanely loyal to those who were loyal to her. She had helped Betty out a few times over the years when things got too dark for her. Betty knew that Cheryl had slept around a lot but she had never really had boyfriends or girlfriends for that matter. It was no secret that Cheryl could be harsh and abrasive. Betty hoped that one day, someone would break down her fiery red walls and see her for the beautiful person she really was.

 

Reggie brought her drink back over to her and she took it from him after saying thank you. Kevin shot her another look which Betty pointedly ignored.

 

***

 

Jughead wiped his hands clean with a rag he pulled from his back pocket. He had just finished up on an oil change on a Rav4. It was almost closing time to he went over to the office to call the car’s owner and let them know they could pick it up in the morning. Before Jughead went to the back to pull off his work uniform he stopped by his bosses office.

 

“Hey Tall Boy anything else you need me to do before I leave for the night?” Jughead asked.

 

“Nah boy you can go. Have a good weekend. Try not to chase too much tail!” Tall Boy said laughing.

 

Jughead rolled his eyes and smirked. Jughead went to the back where there was a small locker room and took off his jumpsuit. Jughead laced up his black combat boots and pulled on his black leather jacket. Being sure to grab his worn copy of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald off the top shelf of his locker, he headed out of the garage into the cold winter evening.

 

Jughead popped his collar high around his neck and then shoved his hands into his pockets. Jughead had plans to meet his friends Joaquin and Sweet Pea at the local college bar. It wasn’t the first time he had been there, but Jughead usually got bored watching Sweet Pea try and fail at picking up women and Joaquin try and succeed to pick up guys. He usually ordered a beer and sat at the bar and read. It wasn’t lost on him that people thought it was weird or that he was weird. He prided himself on it- being a weirdo.

 

There were a few things that made Jughead an outsider in this college town. The first thing was that he was a little older than everyone else. Jughead had put off going to college so that he could pay off his father’s debt with a shark in his hometown of, Brooklyn, N.Y. Jughead’s father, F.P, also known as Forsythe Pendleton Jones the second had gotten into trouble on the wrong side of town and ended up going to jail for it. Jughead had no idea how much shit his father had gotten into until after he was sentenced to 5 years in prison and the shark came looking for her money. Penny Peabody. Jughead scoffed and shook his head. More like a snake than a shark. During this time Jughead was in his senior of high school and had planned on going to NYU in New York City but then Penny showed up threatening to kill his father if Jughead didn’t work off his debt. So he had gotten a job at the local diner and worked odd jobs here and there until the debt was paid off.

 

Jughead has ultimately resented his father for all the shit he did in his notorious gang, Men Of Hades, which eventually  Jughead had ended up paying for. But as fate would have it, the day that Jughead paid off his father’s debt Tall Boy had shown up in Brooklyn. Tall Boy explained that he had an opening for a mechanic at his shop in upstate New York, that Jughead could stay in the apartment above the shop and that there was a halfway decent college in the town that Jughead could go to.

 

Jughead jumped on the opportunity and left the following day, never looking back.

 

The second reason, his peers had labeled him a dangerous “bad boy”. It was strange because Jughead rarely talked to anyone but he guessed that his leather jacket, brooding demeanor and being from Brooklyn gave people something to talk about. He actually liked the label and he had absolutely no problem fulfilling the role. Especially since it happened to get him a lot of attention with the ladies. Jughead rolled his eyes at the thought- why did women love a bad boy? Better yet- why did women love jerks? Jughead wasn’t overly rude to the women he hooked up with- but he definitely wasn’t nice either. Come to think of it, he wasn’t really nice to anyone.

 

Life had dealt Jughead a shit-hand of cards. His mother abandoned him when he was young, his hometown rejected him, his father was in jail- the list was endless sometimes. Sure it gave him a thick skin and a damn good work ethic but he always felt like the world was against him and therefore, he didn’t owe it or anyone else for that matter anything.

 

Jughead saw the all to familiar red glow that came from the college bar’s sign as he neared his destination. He gave a small sigh of relief when he saw that Sweet Pea and Joaquin were already at the bar.

  


***

 

Betty was sipping her second drink as she watched Kevin eye-fuck a cute boy at the bar.

 

“He’s back Betty! We saw him like three weeks ago and I have been stalking this bar ever since!” Kevin exclaimed.

 

Betty giggled, “Then go talk to him!”

 

Kevin wrinkled his nose, “Oh no, girl! I just look desperate if I do that. I will give him my sexy eyes until he gets the sense to come over here and talk to me.”

 

Betty was about to ask Kevin what his “sexy eyes” were when the bell above the bar door jingled. Betty turned instinctively towards the noise as did the others at the table.

 

“Oh look who it is.” Reggie said sarcastically, “Donnie Darko himself.”

 

Jughead Jones walked into the bar and it was almost like time had slowed down. Jughead smirked to himself as soon as he felt all the eyes in the bar turn to him. He put on his best scowl and made his way to where Sweet Pea and Joaquin were sitting at the bar.

 

“I swear that guy never cracks a smile.” Veronica said, “He is always so serious.”

 

Betty turned to her and shrugged. “Maybe he just likes to be alone.”

 

Betty had known Jughead in passing, they had had a few English Lit. courses together. Betty noticed that he always sat alone and kept himself. For whatever reason, everyone in the college town had labeled Jughead a “bad boy” and he definitely fit the role well. That was until class discussion came along and then Jughead would animatedly participate. He and Betty had gone toe to toe a few times on topics they disagreed on. Jughead never missed the opportunity to take a jab at her, like he couldn’t stand her for some reason. On an average day, especially during the past semesters they had classes together, Betty had found Jughead arrogant in an I’m-better-than-you kind of way.

 

Veronica had given Betty a little nudge and gave her a knowing smile. Betty smiled back at her friend, Veronica gave her one of her many looks, this time it was the “why are you defending him, Betty.” Even for a jerk like Jughead, Betty was always nice to people, not because she was a people pleaser (although everyone would argue with her about that), not even because she wanted to. She was always nice to people because she fiercely believed that _everyone you meet is going through something you know nothing about_. So naturally, Betty assumed Jughead had his reasons for being a jerk.

 

“I’m just saying,” Kevin piped up, “Maybe if he had someone to shake his tree a little bit he’d smile more.”

 

Everyone at the table laughed.

 

“Kevin!” Betty said, scolding her friend.

 

Kevin shrugged at her and held his hands up as if to say, “Just saying.”

 

Betty shook her head, she couldn’t believe the amount of gossip her friends could spin sometimes.

 

Jughead could hear laughter behind him as he watched Joaquin.

 

“Are you going to go talk to that guy tonight?” Jughead asked, smirking.

 

Joaquin smiled at him, “Nope. He needs to stew at least one more night.”

 

Jughead chuckled, “Making him work for it huh?”

 

“Oh, yeah. Especially since I’m going to have to face his ungodly group of friends when I do.” Joaquin said, pointing his chin towards the group in the corner.

 

Jughead turned and as if by pure coincidence he locked eyes with no one other than Betty Cooper. Jughead felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. Jughead smirked at her, was it by coincidence or had he just caught her staring at him?

The way Betty’s cheeks flushed before she turned around told he knew it was the latter.

 

Jughead considered Betty an acquaintance if he could even call her that. They had had a few classes together in the past and Jughead loved to pick on her. He enjoyed their banter in class - Betty was always prepared for class discussion and Jughead knew exactly what to say to rile her up. Jughead loved the way he could see her eyes flash with frustration or the way she rolled her eyes at him. There was no denying that Betty was extremely attractive. She had slightly long golden blonde hair the jughead couldn’t help but notice shed grown out over the last year, mesmerizing green eyes and sculpted legs that went for miles. At the end of the day though Jughead found Betty’s perfect-girl-next-door exterior and impossible optimistic attitude annoying so he kept away from her.

 

Betty slowly sipped her drink as she willed her cheeks to cool. Of course, she would get caught staring at Jughead Jones of all people.

 

Cheryl swung around on her stool, her long thin legs knocking into Betty’s.

 

“I have an idea, let’s play truth or dare!” Cheryl said.

 

Once again Betty rolled her eyes and groaned. Betty hated this game but of course, everyone at the table agreed.

 

“Ok, Betty truth or dare?” Cheryl said.

 

“Why do I have to go first?” Betty said in protest.

 

“Because I suggested the game and therefore I get to pick who goes first.”

 

Betty chewed her lower lip. She was worried if she picked “truth” Cheryl would ask her about her feelings for Reggie so on impulse she said, “Dare.”

 

There was a collective comedic gasp that went around the table.

 

“Easy. I dare you to go make Jughead Jones laugh.” Cheryl said.

 

Betty felt her heart stammer in her chest a little bit. “Seriously?”

 

“Why yes Betty, a dare is a dare. Now go!” Cheryl smugly replied.

Betty looked at Veronica who was staring back at her with a small smile playing on her lips. Veronica’s comment earlier about Betty never being on a date came to the forefront of her mind. Maybe if Betty did this, her friends would leave her alone about dating someone.

 

“Fine.” Betty said and then tipped her head back emptying her glass. She wiped her mouth in a very unladylike manner, “Be right back.”

 

With all the confidence she could muster, Betty spun on her heel and headed for Jughead.

 

Joaquin’s eyes went wide with amusement, “Uh-oh.”

 

“What?” Jughead asked confused.

 

“Blondie is headed this way, 12 o’clock.”

 

Jughead’s body stiffened as he felt Betty sit down on the stool behind him causing all the hairs on Jughead’s body to stand to attention.

 

“Rum and coke please, with lime.”

 

Once again that involuntary shiver went down his spine and Jughead shook his head trying to rid himself of it.

 

When Betty got her drink she took a deep steadying breath. Why was the thought of talking to Jughead making her so nervous? They had talked plenty of times before.

 

“Hey, Jughead.” Betty said, hoping she sounded cool.

 

Betty watched as Jughead’s friend smirked at him and then walked away. Jughead turned slowly to face her.

 

“Hey, Betty. How are you?” Jughead said, his light blue eyes piercing her soul.

 

“G-good. H-how are you?” Betty managed to get out.

 

_Words, dammit Betty Cooper, words!_

 

“Fine, thanks.” Jughead said, turning his attention back to his drink.

 

Jughead bit the inside of his cheek. Betty definitely came over here with a purpose but watching her blush a little and stammer over her words was definitely the best thing he’d seen all week. When they had gone against each other in a class discussion, Betty had always spoken with precision- like she had chosen all of her words with care. So watching her stammer all over her words now was definitely amusing to him.

 

Betty bit her lower lip and looked back at her table of friends who were watching her cautiously. She had to pull this off. Betty looked back at Jughead and took a long sip of her drink trying to gain a little more courage.

 

Jughead actively ignored Betty staring at him, but he had to admit- having her sitting here this close to him was starting to put him on edge. Jughead had experience with women, plenty of them. Having a woman near did not bother Jughead Jones but damn, in this moment, Betty Cooper most certainly did.

 

Jughead sighed, “Did you need something Betty?”

 

Betty froze, “Why would you ask?”

 

“Because you’re kind of staring.” Jughead said flatly.

 

Betty blushed instantly at that and then to her surprise, Jughead smiled. Betty got so excited that she smiled back at him.

 

“What?” Betty asked, unable to control her grin.

 

“Nothing, you’re just cute when you blush.” Jughead said softly.

Betty felt her heart hammer in her chest. “O-oh, thanks.”

 

The way Betty’s cheeks pinked up and knowing that he was the cause of it- he was hooked.

 

Jughead cleared his throat, “But really, why’d you come over here? Don’t you have a boyfriend to attend to?”

 

Betty looked at him confused, “Boyfriend?”

 

Jughead motioned over to her table of friends, “Yeah, that Mantle kid.”

 

Jughead had met Reggie Mantle during their freshman year of college. He was a nice enough kid, but he couldn’t help but point out Jughead’s “dark differences” to others. Jughead always chalked it up to a confidence issue, like the rest of the bullies he had dealt with in his life. Jughead had seen Betty and Reggie on campus together several times, he just always assumed from their chemistry that they were together.

 

“Reggie? He is not my boyfriend.” Betty said firmly, like something deep inside her needed Jughead to know that she was single.

 

Jughead raised his eyebrows, he couldn’t tell if he was more surprised by the news they weren’t together or the unexpected feeling of relief it brought him.

 

“Then, why?” Jughead asked quietly.

 

“I actually need a favor, two favors actually.” Betty said biting her bottom lip again in anticipation.

 

Jughead stared at Betty’s bottom lip that was trapped between her teeth and for a brief moment he wondered what Betty tasted like. _Snap out of it you moron!_

 

Jughead yanked his eyes away from Betty’s mouth, “What’s in it for me?”

 

Betty released her bottom lip, “Dinner at a restaurant of your choice and a dozen of my famous double chocolate cupcakes.”

 

Jughead’s face went serious, “You have my full attention Cooper.”

 

Betty stared at him for a brief moment and then she burst out laughing, throwing her head back and then placing a light hand on Jughead’s arm. Jughead couldn’t help the smile that had formed on his face, Betty’s laughter was infectious. She looked beautiful and carefree and he realized that he had never seen her like this before.

“What’s so funny Betty? I don’t joke about food.” Jughead said, attempting (and failing) to be serious again.

 

“I’m sorry,” Betty said catching her breath, “That was just too funny.”

Jughead smirked at her, drawing Betty’s attention to Jughead’s mouth. She briefly wondered how soft his lips were.

 

“So these favors…?” Jughead said bringing her back to the moment.  

 

“Right, ok. The first one is I need you to laugh at something I say and the second is I need you to leave with me after…” Betty said her words trailing off at the end.

 

Betty’s heart leapt into her throat, where had that bit come from? That wasn’t part of Cheryl’s dare...

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at her, he had not expected that at all.

 

“Why?” his voice coming off a little more breathy then he intended.

 

“Because my friends over there dared me to come over here and make you smile and I’m not a good loser.” Betty said bringing her hand up to her face and gently biting on the edge of her thumb.

 

_Well shit, Betty Cooper is flirting with me._

 

Jughead weighed his options for a moment. He could politely turn Betty down or he could call it an early night and go get a free meal. Jughead would at the very least get to spend another hour making her blush.

 

Jughead turned to Betty tapping his hands lightly on the bar, “Your cheesiest pickup line.”

 

“Ok…” Betty says, thinking about it. She tried to think of some that men had said to her that Veronica and Kevin thought were hilarious the next morning. She looked back at Jughead who was watching her intently as she mentally picked one.

 

“Ok, I got one.” Betty finally said.

 

Betty cleared her throat and then leaned toward Jughead and in her most suggestive voice she said, “Hey baby- I’m not psychic but I definitely see myself all over you.”

 

Jughead stared at her for a moment, just long enough for Betty to worry that she’d missed her mark. Then, with no warning at all Jughead burst into laughter. Betty giggled too, she felt memorized by watching him laugh, it happened way too rarely.

 

“Seriously Cooper that’s the best you got?” Jughead said still laughing.

 

Betty shrugged, “Yeah, I guess.”

 

“Men really think that’s going to work on you?” Jughead asked, shaking his head incredulously.

 

Betty could not stop giggling, “I guess they do.”

 

They were both still laughing a little bit when Jughead leaned over and seductively whispered in her ear, “That at least buys me dinner so let’s get out of here so I can get dessert too.”

 

Betty felt herself turn beet red from the feeling of his breath tickling her neck. She couldn’t help but (pray) wonder if he was referring to more than just her cupcakes.

 

“R-right now?” Betty asked.

 

Jughead’s eyes went a little dark as he nodded and mouthed “right now” to her. Oh boy, did he love to make this girl blush.

 

Betty weighed her options. She could take a rain check with Jughead and return to her table of friends or she could see this through and go get dinner with Jughead.

 

“Ok, I just need to get my coat.” Betty said.

 

“I’ll settle my tab.” Jughead said.

 

Betty hopped off the bar stool and walked back to her table of friends. Betty noticed that Reggie didn’t look happy at all meanwhile Kevin and Veronica were basically frothing at the mouth.

 

“BETTY! I can’t believe you just did that.” Kevin said, “What did you say to make him laugh?”

 

Betty shrugged, “I used my favorite pickup line that I’ve heard over the years on him.”

 

Cheryl laughed at that one and Veronica clapped her hands together excitedly.

 

Betty grabbed her coat and shrugged it on and all at once her friends looked confused.

 

“Wait- where are you going?” Veronica asked.

 

Betty fixed her collar, pulling her hair out of it. “With Jughead, don’t wait up.”

 

Betty didn’t wait for her friend's reactions as she turned on her heel and walked with purpose over to Jughead who was waiting for her by the door. He smiled at her and Betty’s heart fluttered again as he held the door open for her.  

 

“Mi-lady,” Jughead said, as he let her out into the cold evening air.

 

“Thank you.” Betty said as she waited for him to step on to the sidewalk.

 

Betty could still feel the eyes of her friends on her through the large front windows of the bar. Jughead put an arm around Betty’s shoulders and they began to walk down the street.

 

“Where to?” Jughead asked.

 

“A deal’s a deal. You hungry?” Betty replied.

 

Jughead chuckled again, “I am always hungry Betty. Perks of having a bottomless pit for  a stomach.”

 

Betty giggled at Jughead’s joke, “You pick. I’ll pay.”

 

“You drive a hard bargain Cooper, but I think I know just the place.”

 


	2. Kiss Her Senseless

**Chapter 2 - Kiss Her Senseless**

 

Jughead pulled the collar of his Sherpa jacket up around his neck. The temperature wasn’t freezing but it was cold enough to make his hands sting and go numb had they not been safely tucked into his fleece-lined pockets. He finished his shift at the garage and headed to his favorite, but now abandoned cafe because of the winter break.

 

Jughead seemed to be writing a lot more in his journal lately. Although he had spent the better part of the last year dedicated to his novel, sometimes he was inspired by other things. For example, his strange date-like encounter with Betty Cooper. Jughead had written pages and pages about her and all of the things he hadn’t noticed about her before. Like her forest green eyes and soft pink lips, or the way her mouth would quirk up into a smirk when she was teasing him, or the way her eyes sparkled when he made her laugh and the way that laugh made his heart flutter.

 

Jughead snorted to himself. What kind of guy was he turning into?

 

 _A sappy one, that’s what._ He thought to himself.

 

Jughead sighed, he was definitely becoming pathetic.

 

To his unexpected disappointment, Jughead hadn’t seen Betty since that fateful night she had been dared by her friends to make him laugh. He had taken her to his favorite hole-in-the-wall diner where they both ordered milkshakes and burgers. Jughead had been pleasantly surprised since eating was Jughead’s favorite pastime, he loved a girl who could eat. The other thing that pleasantly surprised him? The hours they had spent talking long after their fries were finished.

 

Jughead always assumed that talking to Betty would be an extension of what she was like in class. Long winded and annoying. Oh, how wrong he had been. They had talked about everything- previous classes, movies, favorite books, and music. Jughead could not remember the last time that he had met someone that was so easy to talk to. He couldn’t get over how easily the conversation had flowed between them- like they had known each other their entire lives.

 

When they finally realized the sun had started to come up, Betty had mentioned something about having work that afternoon and needing to get some sleep. Jughead had gotten this weird feeling in his chest.

 

Considering the early hour, Jughead had walked her home. When they arrived at the front porch of Betty’s apartment building, there had been an awkward pause between the two of them. Like the act of saying goodbye wasn’t simple and they were anxious about what was going to happen next.

 

_“Thank you for tonight. I think this was the funnest night I’ve had in awhile.” Betty confessed, lightly biting her lip._

 

_Jughead felt himself blush, “Yeah, me too.”_

  


Before Jughead could force himself to say goodnight, Betty had taken him by surprise when she leaned up on her tippy toes and softly planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth, her lips leaving a tingling feeling in their wake.

 

Jughead had been too busy living on cloud nine that he had forgotten to ask Betty for her number. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen or heard from her since.

 

Jughead sighed once again while he crossed through the park to get to the coffee shop. For a brief moment, Jughead admired the rotund snowflakes that were poetically falling from the sky. The thicker snowflakes were always his favorite. He loved the way that they seemed to fall slowly from the sky and suck the sound out of the world.

 

Jughead definitely regretted not getting Betty’s number but he wasn’t the type of guy who did that sort of thing. Normally, girls would give him their number after he had hooked up with them. But it was rare that he actually ever called a girl for a second hook-up. Jughead realized that this behavior made him, what the average millennial girl liked to call a “fuck boy”. Although he would never label himself that. Jughead had slept with plenty of girls (and blown their minds). Jughead smirked to himself, okay so maybe he was a _little_ smug.

 

It hadn’t taken long for word to get around campus that he was the “love ‘em and leave ‘em” type. Some girls just couldn’t get the hint that he wasn’t looking for a relationship which in the end earned him the title of being a “fuck boy”. Jughead hated the term but in introspect he knew he was an asshole.

 

Jughead paused briefly, wondering if Betty thought he was a fuck boy.

It honestly didn’t take a shrink for Jughead to know he was and probably forever would be emotionally unavailable. Jughead ran through the mental checklist in his mind, he almost had it memorized. _Doesn’t do relationships, happy being alone, fronts like a bad boy, doesn’t share feelings, makes jokes in serious situations…_

 

However, if he was seeing a shrink, Jughead suspected he would easily be able to blame his parents for the way that he was.

 

_***_

 

_Growing up, Jughead had never seen his parents show affection to each other. Of course, he would get hugs from his Dad and his Mom always used to kiss his forehead after tucking him into bed. However, he never witnessed his parents hug or kiss each other. Jughead imagined that they had done those things at some point. After all- how would he be standing here if they didn’t?_

 

_Jughead’s parents F.P. and Gladys Jones had met in high school. But from what Jughead could piece together over the years- they were not high school sweethearts. What had started as a fiery fling soon turned into a stereotypical teenage drama. Jughead’s mother was a teen mom and although his father did his very best to provide for the three of them. Unfortunately, his father could never hold down a job and ended up joining a gang titled, “The Men of Hades”. Jughead rolled his eyes at the name. When Jughead was younger, he just figured that the leader of the gang wanted another name for “the devil” but as time went on and he learned more about his father, the name made sense to him._

 

_In Greek Mythology, after Zeus defeated his father Cronus and the rest of the Titans, Zeus and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades decided that they would split the universe. Beating the Titans didn’t happen overnight, as it took Zeus and his other siblings roughly ten years to overthrow their father and conquer the universe. As myth would have it, how the three brothers division of the universe seemed like a peaceful affair but that was far from the truth. During the war, Zeus saw how strong his brother Hades was becoming and they often had disagreements on how to handle things. During their disagreements, Zeus’s other siblings tended to side with Hades, claiming that he was the rational one. Zeus grew jealous of his brother and convinced Poseidon to trick Hades into taking over the Underworld. At the time, no God had ever been to the Underworld and therefore, no one knew what laid there. Three brothers agreed that they would meet at Mount Olympus and draw one of three sticks. The brother who drew the shortest stick would control the Underworld, the middle length stick would control the seas and the longest stick would control the heavens. What Hades didn’t know was Zeus and Poseidon agreed ahead of time which of them would get the seas and which would get the heavens. They met their sister Hera at Mount Olympus and she held the three sticks. Zeus had also manipulated his sister, telling her that if she held the sticks a certain way that he would marry her and make her his Queen. Hera greedily agreed and held the stick in the order Zeus had instructed her to. Zeus got the longest stick, Poseidon got the medium one and Hades drew the short one. Hades had been furious, he knew Zeus had something to do with this but there was nothing he could do. So he left for the Underworld. All Greeks knew Hades to be an evil God but he wasn’t always this way. Living in the Underworld with all those dead souls constantly whispering his name and the other horrors that lived there had changed him._

  


_When Jughead had learned this origin story in high school the name of the gang his father had belonged to and why his father had chosen that particular gang clicked for him. The Men of Hades were not the devil’s men, they were men who were once honest, pure and good and had been changed by the horrors of life and circumstance._

 

_However, Jughead’s mother never approved of FP being in a gang and grew to resent him over the years. The only time that this wasn’t true was when Jughead’s sister Jellybean was born._

 

_Jellybean had been born on a day a lot like this one. Jughead had a vivid memory of sitting at his bedroom window, watching fat snowflakes fall slowly from the sky. Even as a young boy, Jughead cherished these moments of tranquil silence. His parents had been fighting more than usual those days, since Jughead’s unborn sister would arrive any day. So the rare moment of peace was welcomed. Jughead looked out the window and wondered what other kid’s families were like. Did their parents sit with them at the window and enjoy the snowy landscapes together? Did they cuddle and keep warm on their couches? Or was every family like his- where none of those things ever happened?_

 

_Moments later, there was the sound of a plate shattering in the kitchen and then his mother crying out in pain. He had ran as fast as he could only to find his mother standing in a puddle of water. A few hours later, Jellybean had come into the world and she had been the only one in his life who received the unconditional love he himself had been craving._

 

Jughead gave his head a little shake bringing his thoughts back to the present.

Jughead stood on the curb across from the coffee shop, waiting to cross as he thought this over. He had never cared what people thought of him- so why would he start with Betty _freaking_ Cooper? In retrospect, he was probably never going to see Betty again because that was just his luck. Jughead took one more look into the front window of the coffee shop before stepping into the street. As fate would have it, through the window Jughead could see a familiar blonde sitting by the window.

 

_Damn._

 

Betty sat in her favorite coffee shop sipping on a piping hot caramel soy latte. Normally, she couldn’t even get a seat in the shop, but campus was empty for the winter break and as a result, the typically crowded coffee shop was fairly empty. Betty sighed contently as she picked up her book and started to read. Something as simple as reading for pleasure had become such a luxury these days, especially since Betty was so busy with school and work. As a kid she was an avid reader but once she had gotten to high school, she mostly read out of her textbooks or for a homework assignment for her English Lit. class.

 

The bell above the door to the cafe jingled causing Betty to absentmindedly look towards the noise and she instantly regretted it. A tall man, with white slicked back hair and a dark brown jacket, walked into the cafe causing all the hair on Betty’s body to stand to attention.

 

_Betty had just gotten home from catching up with some friends from high school. She threw her keys into the bowl by the front door as she caught a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror. Betty had checked herself out briefly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear and giving herself a soft smile. Although she originally had dreaded coming home, the visit with her mother and Chic hadn’t been so bad. She hadn’t really much time for her long-lost brother since she had gone away to college. They used to be closer but Betty has tried to keep the strong bond they first had when she was initially introduced to her troubled brother. However, it had gotten continuously harder and harder as time went on. Even though Chic had settled into the Cooper household long ago, Betty still couldn’t help but feel like he resented her a little bit._

 

_On the night that Betty’s parents Alice Smith and Hal Cooper were crowned king and queen at the homecoming dance, Alice had shared with Hal that she was four months pregnant. Hal had been furious, accusing Alice of “ruining his life” and cheating on him with a Snake. Betty’s father had demanded that Alice get an abortion but Alice couldn’t bring herself to do it. She had recently been arrested and had spent a great deal of money on her bail, she couldn’t afford an abortion. She and Hal had reached an agreement, Hal’s parents would pay for Alice to go a facility for the remainder of her pregnancy. Once the baby was born, someone at the facility would arrange for a quiet adoption and neither of them would ever speak of it again._

 

_What Alice didn’t know was that her son never ended up being adopted. From infancy, Chic Smith entered the foster care system and bounced from one abusive household to the next. He grew up in a cold, brutal world where no one wanted him._

 

_When Chic turned 18, his adoption records were unsealed and became available to the public. He had gone to the town hall that his adoption facility was located in and looked himself up. He found an address for his long-lost mother and went to the house in search of her._

 

_To this day Chic would not be able to tell you what he expected when he arrived at the Cooper household. The memory of him standing across the street hiding in the shadows while he watched his mother play with two blonde girls in the front yard is still burned forever in his memory._

 

_Betty remembers the first words Chic spoke to her as he had crossed the floor in the dirty motel he had been living in. Like a predator stalking its prey._

 

_“You’re my sister… you’re lucky she wanted to keep you.”_

 

_At the time, her brother's words had cut sharper than a knife. The cold look in his eyes told Betty that Chic hated her and probably always would._

 

_***_

 

_A faint scrubbing noise brought Betty back to her thoughts as she felt the atmosphere in her childhood home tangibly change. Betty had turned slowly towards the noise and made her way further into the house. On the floor, there had been a cord which Betty had noticed first as adrenaline began to pump its way through her body._

 

_Something was not right._

 

_Betty’s eyes followed the cord to a lamp that usually sat next to the couch in the living room. Betty’s heart was beating so loud that everything was being drowned out by the quick thumping noise in her ears._

 

_Kneeling next to a man lying in his own pool of blood, was Betty’s mother._

 

_“Mom-” Betty choked out in a strained whisper. The panic began to set in almost immediately._

 

_Alice had been so engrossed in the task of mopping up the blood that she hadn’t heard Betty come in. Blood-soaked towels laid in a half circle around the corpse's body as Alice tried to get a handle on cleaning up the blood. When Betty was in AP Biology her junior year, she had learned that the average human body held about 1.5 liters of blood. At the time, that had seemed like such a little amount to her but now as blood was seeping into the floorboards, she could not get over how much blood there actually was._

 

_Betty covered her mouth with a shaky hand as bile began to rise to the back of her throat._

 

_***_

 

“Betty?” someone said in the distance.

 

Betty snapped back into focus as she heard name being called again.

 

“Hey… Betty.” someone said.

 

Betty’s vision came into focus as she realized the soft voice belonged to someone she knew. She instantly smiled when she recognized Jughead sitting across from her.

 

 _When did he get here?_ Betty wondered.

 

Feeling embarrassed, a slight flush crept into her cheeks.

 

“Jughead, hey… I didn’t see you there.”  Betty said, smiling as brightly as she could.

 

Jughead gave Betty a little smirk, “Even though I’m sitting right in front of you?”

 

Betty cleared her throat, her blush deepening under Jughead’s scrutinizing gaze. Had his eyes always been such a beautiful shade of blue? To be truthful, it made Betty’s heart race a little bit to see Jughead sitting in front of her. She hadn’t seen them since their truth-or-dare date at the diner a few weeks prior. Betty regretted not getting his number every day since so running into him here at the coffee shop was a pleasant surprise.

 

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Betty said, “are you back from winter break early?”

 

“I uh… never left.” Jughead responded, shifting in his chair uncomfortably.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that...I wish I never left.” Betty said, laughing a little.

 

Jughead gave Betty a small smile. He stared at her for a moment longer than was probably normal because a light blush started to form on her cheeks again. Jughead smirked slightly, he loved making Betty Cooper blush.

 

“What are you reading?” Jughead asked, noticing the book in Betty’s lap.

 

Betty looked down at the book she was gripping in her hands.

 

“Oh, this? Pride and Prejudice.”  


“Ah, I can’t say that I’ve read that one before.” Jughead said leaning forward a little bit in his chair.

 

Betty felt her heart stutter as Jughead moved closer to her from across the table. _Jughead Jones was flirting with her._

 

“Well, you’re missing out.” Betty countered.

 

“Clearly,” Jughead said, unable to bite back the smile that was forming on his face.

 

The two of them stared at each other for a brief moment. Betty was the first to break contact, her uncontrollable blush getting the best of her.  

 

“I was going to get some coffee, can I get you a refill?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty felt her heartbeat stutter a little in her chest again. Why did Jughead have to be so damn attractive? Betty had never been attracted to the bad boy type, but something about Jughead drew her to him like a sailor to a siren.

 

She wondered if Jughead was just being polite or if he genuinely wanted to spend more time with her. It was strange, from what Betty had heard about Jughead, he didn’t really give girls attention unless he wanted to hook up with them. Betty briefly wondered if Jughead wanted- to hook up with her.

 

Throwing caution to the wind she said, “Sure, that’d be great.”

 

“Great, what can I get you?” Jughead asked.

 

“A soy caramel latte.” Betty answered.

 

Jughead gave her a slight nod and chuckled as he walked towards the counter. Of course, Betty Cooper would order a coffee drink as sweet as that.

 

While Jughead went to order their coffees, Betty couldn’t help but check out his backside. From looking at his shoulders under his flannel shirt, she wondered if Jughead was one of those guys who looked “lanky” but was secretly really tone underneath their clothes. As Betty raked her eyes down the rest of Jughead’s body, she decided that her suspicions had to be true. Without warning, as if he could feel her eyes on him Jughead turned around. He blushed a little and then gave her a sexy smirk.

 

Betty felt her body heat up as her throat dried. Quickly she looked away and tried to look busy with the book she was reading.

 

 _Jesus, no wonder they call that man a panty dropper._ Betty thought to herself.

 

Jughead chuckled a little and then turned back to get their coffees from the barista. That was the second time he had caught Betty Cooper checking him out. Once Jughead had hit puberty and earned his Serpent’s jacket, he had to get used to girls checking him out. He knew there was something about a “bad boy” in a leather jacket that turned women on. He had used it to his advantage ever since. But Betty was different. He still got satisfaction from catching her checking him out but it mattered more to him somehow. Jughead knew he was interested in Betty, not only because she was undeniably beautiful but also because she was extremely intelligent.

 

Jughead froze for a moment, his mind racing as he realized he couldn’t remember the last time he actually _liked_ a girl he was interested in. He rolled his eyes at himself as he walked back towards the table.

 

 _How many times am I going to make myself sound like a world class douchebag today?_ Jughead wondered.

 

Jughead set the coffees down on the table and Betty immediately wrapped her hands around the hot ceramic mug. She sighed contently and took a tentative sip.

 

Jughead watched as Betty took a sip of her latte. It was like she was a rare mosaic in a New York art gallery and he was sitting on a bench soaking her in. He watched her dexterous fingers wrap around the mug, the way her eyes fluttered when the coffee hit her taste buds and how she licked her upper lip afterward.

 

This time it was Betty’s turn to catch Jughead staring at her.

 

“What?” she asked, her lips turning up into a curious smile.

 

“I was just thinking of how your coffee order is as sweet as you are.”

 

Betty laughed at that one, leaning back in her chair a little.

 

“I thought we covered cheesy pickup lines on our first date.” Betty quipped.

 

“What can I say?” Jughead said laughing a little, “I’m still a guy, right?”

 

“Right,” Betty said, smiling coyly at him.

 

Jughead just smiled and shook his head a little.

 

The two of them sat there in companionable silence for a few moments. Betty focused on her latte in her hands. Betty wondered how long this moment with him was going to last.

 

***

 

Jughead was still a bit of a mystery to her. Her past experiences with him had been made up of heated arguments and his endless teasing that always seemed to get under her skin. Since the night of the “truth or dare” date, Betty felt like she had gotten the opportunity to get to know the real Jughead a little bit more.

 

He was still an arrogant bastard but Betty genuinely enjoyed all the conversations they had had so far.

 

Jughead pulled his chair in so that he was closer to the table and rested his elbows on it.

 

“So, what made you come back to campus so early?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty frowned a little, perhaps she wouldn't enjoy this conversation as much.

 

Jughead saw Betty’s body language shift. The average person probably would’ve missed it but Jughead who had spent much of his life observing other people definitely noticed it. He instantly regretted asking that question but he couldn’t ignore that his curiosity was piqued.

 

“My mom and my half brother….” Betty started to say, “It’s...complicated.”

 

Jughead furrowed his brows a little bit. He'd assumed from the beginning of his acquaintance with Betty that she'd had a perfect family, with spotless smiles, and a flawless house with a white picket fence to match. Clearly, from the look on Betty’s face, his assumptions had been wrong.

 

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Jughead finally replied.  

 

Betty sighed a little. “It’s alright. I’ll survive.”

 

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t go anywhere because I don’t have any family to go home to.” Jughead confessed.

 

 _Shit Jones, that was personal._ He thought, quickly scolding himself.

 

Betty’s heart squeezed a little. Carefully, she lifted her hand and placed it delicately over Jughead’s arm lightly rubbing the pad of her thumb over the inside of his wrist.

 

“It doesn’t.” Betty replied, giving Jughead a small smile.

 

Jughead froze at the unexpected contact from the beautiful blonde sitting across from him. The second Betty’s hand brushed over his arm, he felt like a course of electricity was charging through his body, making his heart beat hard and fast in his chest. There was something so completely intimate about the way Betty had reached over and touched him. At this proximity, Jughead couldn’t help but notice how viridescent her eyes were. Yet, there was more to Betty’s eyes than their beautiful green color. Most of the time when people started learning about pieces of Jughead’s life they looked at him with pity, but the way Betty was looking at him now was different- it was like she understood what he had gone through and admired it. It made him want to jump across the table and freaking kiss her senseless.

 

Betty blushed profusely under Jughead’s gaze. She took her hand off of Jughead’s arm and placed back in her lap, her fingers tingling from the missing sensation of his skin.

 

Their moment was broken by the sound of the bell above the entrance to the coffee shop. They both jumped slightly at the unexpected noise, the background noise of the shop returning to them. It was like they had been in their own little bubble.

 

Jughead cleared his throat, “So Betty, when are you going to let me take you on a date again?”

 

Betty laughed, “You mean, we’re not on one right now?”

 

“No, no this is definitely not a date. Not a proper one anyway.” Jughead said, shaking his head.

 

Jughead was slightly amused by his words, he had never really taken a girl on a date before.

 

“It doesn’t have to be proper! I’m a simple girl.” Betty said.

 

Jughead stared at her for a moment, smirking.

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “Alright, maybe I _like_ to think I’m a simple girl.”

 

Jughead laughed, “Fair enough. When can I take you on this simple date?”

 

Betty fidgeted in her seat, feeling a sense of confidence she hadn’t felt before.

 

“How about right now?” Betty asked.

 

Completely caught off-guard, Jughead raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

“Uh… yeah, sure.”

 

“Yeah?” Betty asked skeptically.

 

“Yep, I know just the place,” he replied, his own sense of confidence returning.

 

The two of them finished their coffees and Betty laced her fingers through Jughead's as she followed him out onto the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> I have been working on this fic for about a month now and I am BEYOND excited to start sharing it with all of you! What do you think so far?? 
> 
> Looking forward to your thoughts :)
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	3. The (Not So) Perfect Girl Next Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta @bugheadfanfictionawards for being amazing and looking this over for me :)
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: SMUT at the end of this chapter.

** Chapter 3 - The (Not So) Perfect Girl Next Door **

 

Betty casually walked across campus, her books in her arms and her backpack slung over her shoulders. She was running a little late to her library job across campus but for once in her life, she didn’t care. The sun had come out for the first time in over a week and before Betty was trapped in the library for the next six hours she wanted to soak in as much as possible.

 

Things had calmed down since Betty had gone home for winter break. Her mother had called a few times but Betty mostly ignored her. She couldn’t understand how she had done everything for her mother and nothing was ever good enough and then Chic appears in her life and her mother was ready to cover up a murder for him. Betty laughed to herself darkly, she could guarantee the only thing her mother would do if Betty had murdered someone was be disappointed. After all, Elizabeth, what would the neighbors think?

 

Betty had actively been trying not to think about her mother and Chic and since she was so busy at school, it had been easy to do. But sometimes, when she had even just five minutes to herself the darkness set in. Her heart would begin to race, her hands would become sweaty and sometimes she would zone out all together. Her mind betraying her and taking her back to the night she found a dead man soaking in his own blood on her living room floor. Betty shuddered involuntarily. If she let herself be pulled into the darkness too deeply, she could almost smell the copper.

 

Betty’s phone dinged and vibrated in her jacket breaking Betty out of her thoughts. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and instantly smiled.

 

 **Jughead:** Hey there Juliet (:

 

 **Betty:** Hey there Jones :) How are you?

 

 **Jughead:** It depends…

 

 **Betty:** … on?

 

 **Jughead:** If you’re coming over to watch a Stranger Things later (:

 

Betty smiled like a complete loon as she put her phone in her pocket and walked into the library. Jughead Jones was turning into quite the enigma for her. Betty had known Jughead all this time as the arrogant smartass in her English Lit classes, but she had been surprised to discover that this was not the case. Jughead definitely had a brooding bad boy exterior but on the inside, he was funny and insanely sweet. Every time they were together, Betty laughed and she was growing to enjoy his company so much. However, she still liked to err on the side of caution due to Jughead’s reputation. She knew he had slept around a lot, but considering they had barely touched over the last few weeks, Betty was hopeful that Jughead wasn’t just spending all his time with her to get her into bed with him. However, she wouldn’t mind that.

 

Betty put her things down at her spot at the circulation desk and pulled off her thick winter coat, she stuffed her scarf and gloves into one of the sleeves and then hung it over the desk chair. Before she sat down, she typed a quick reply to Jughead.

 

 **Betty:** I wish I could! I work late at the library tonight, then tutoring and then I have a TON of work to do. :(

 

 **Jughead:** You’re killing me here Betts! Why do you have to be so busy?

 

 **Betty:** Sorry Jug! I promise to make it up to you.

 

 **Jughead:** With chocolate chip cookies?

 

 **Betty:** I think that can be arranged ;)

 

Betty shook her head and smiled, there was no way she could deny that she was developing a bit of a crush on Jughead. How could she not? He was extremely attractive. Between Jughead’s mesmerizing sapphire eyes and his megawatt boyish grin Betty was a goner. He was just so mysterious to her. Betty noted that Jughead actively avoided talking about his past. It’s not as if he was closed off, he had shared plenty with her about his favorite movies and his beliefs but Betty knew there was so much more to Jughead than that. He was different than anyone Betty had ever met and she was drawn to him. When they weren’t together, Betty’s mind would stray to Jughead. But what was developing between them was unclear- did Jughead like her? Did he want to be more than friends?

 

Betty slightly chewed on her bottom lip. She loved spending time with Jughead and right now, Betty decided it wasn’t important to tell him how she felt yet. They would continue to spend time together and see where things went. She would try to play it cool even though all she could think about in that moment was if she ever crossed Jughead’s mind when he was alone.

 

Betty looked up to see Reggie walking toward the circulation desk. She couldn’t help but notice that he looked a little forlorn.

 

“Hey Reggie- are you doing ok?” Betty asked tentatively.

 

Reggie shook his head, “Do you have a minute to talk Betty? I could really use a friend right now.”

 

“Of course!” Betty said, pulling an extra chair up next to hers.

 

***

 

Jughead stood in line at one of the coffee shops on campus. Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead buying coffee on campus but he wanted to surprise Betty with coffee at work and he wanted it to be hot when he gave it to her.

 

If Jughead was being honest, he’d have to admit that he was starting to fall for Betty and he felt completely out of his element. It had been a really long time since he had taken more than a physical interest in a girl. In fact, he had had only one serious girlfriend to date: his best friend from high school Toni Topaz.

 

After Jughead’s Mom left, taking his sister Jellybean with her, FP couldn’t afford to pay the rent for their current apartment. The two of them moved across town to a smaller place in a bad neighborhood, which ultimately meant that Jughead had to transfer schools. Toni had been his assigned student mentor and they quickly became friends. They bonded over their similar taste in music, their views on society and their deadbeat fathers. Before he knew it they were spending all their time together and he couldn’t help but think about her when she wasn’t around. He was attracted to her exoticness and sassy “I don’t give a fuck” attitude.

 

One night, after Jughead’s Dad had come home drunk and pretty much smashed every breakable thing in their apartment, Jughead left through his bedroom window, going down the fire escape and retreated to Toni’s. He had been really shaken up by the whole thing; Jughead had never seen his Dad in such a violent state. Toni comforted him and they shared a moment. Jughead ended up kissing Toni and for two years afterward, they were an item.

 

Jughead had ended it minutes after he had gotten the news that his Dad had been arrested. His life was unraveling with eternal darkness knocking on his door, he just couldn’t handle worrying about anyone other than himself for a while. Even though Toni said she understood, he knew he had broken her heart. However, even after he had pulled himself out of the dark hole he had dug himself into a few months later, Jughead never tried to get back together with her. A lot had happened between the two of them over those two years and Jughead knew he’d never be able to thank Toni for how much she supported him. Despite all of that, Jughead had never felt himself fall in love with Toni when they were together. He had cared for her deeply but he never loved her and he thought Toni deserved better than that.

 

Jughead promised himself that he wouldn’t allow himself to get into another serious relationship until he had gotten his shit together. Of course, he was still human and craved the human connection even if it was in the form of a one night stand. Truthfully, Jughead didn’t think he’d be ready for a relationship until after college but spending time with Betty made him think twice about that.

 

Betty was different than any girl he had met. Every time he spent time with her, he became more and more interested in getting to know her. On the outside, Betty was this bubbly and sometimes over the top girl. When Jughead had English Lit classes with her in the past, he thought Betty wasted so much of her time being the perfect teacher’s pet. But on the inside, when they were alone, Betty seemed to relax a bit more. On one hand, Betty was extremely flirty and her endless wit was down right sexy. However, on the other hand, Betty was sensitive and Jughead could tell that something terrible was going on behind the scenes in her life. From what he could observe, it had something to do with Betty’s family- specifically with her mother. His thoughts traveled back to last week when he and Betty had been sitting on his couch watching TV.

 

_“Hey Betts- can you pass the popcorn?” he asked._

 

_Betty smiled at him, “Where do you put all this food?! We literally just ate.”_

 

_“Bottomless pit,” Jughead said, affectionately patting his stomach._

 

_“Well, in that case, here are some cookies I made you earlier today.” Betty said taking a Tupperware container out of her bag._

 

_Jughead gasped as he took the container from her, “You were hiding cookies from me? How could you do such a thing?”_

 

_Betty giggled, “I just figured they’d be for dessert later.”_

 

_Jughead opened the container and bit into the delicious chocolate chip cookie and moaned._

 

_“These are amazing! Seriously, how do you not weigh a thousand pounds? I would make these all the time and eat them if I had your baking skills.”_

 

_Betty’s brows furrowed, “My mother never let me eat anything I baked. ‘A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips Elizabeth.’”_

 

_Jughead stopped chewing and set his half-eaten cookie and the Tupperware container on the coffee table._

 

_“Betty… are trying to tell me that your Mom thought you were fat?” Jughead asked gently._

 

_“Sometimes, yeah. Especially when I went home for winter break.” Betty said._

 

_Jughead felt a combination of anger and sadness wash over him. He’d hate to believe that someone like Betty’s mother had tried to convince her she shouldn’t eat sugary foods._

 

_“You can’t be serious Betty! You probably weigh less than 100 lbs, I bet I could pick you up.” Jughead said._

 

_Betty raised her eyebrows at him and laughed a little. “No way, Jughead.”_

 

_Jughead raised a challenging eyebrow and then stood. “C’mon Betty, let’s try it. I bet I could catch you and carry you around.”_

 

_Betty shook her head, “No Jug, I’m not doing that!”_

 

_“Why not? What do you have to lose? Worst case scenario, we figure out that I’m weak and need to hit the gym more.”_

 

_Betty laughed at that but remained in her place on the couch._

 

_Jughead gently grabbed Betty’s hand and pulled her to stand._

 

_“Ok Betty, you can do this, just jump into my arms.” Jughead said opening his arms to her._

 

_“You’re not serious,” Betty said incredulously._

 

_“Oh yes I am. C’mon, jump into my arms and then we can get back to watching Netflix.”_

 

_Betty sighed heavily as she looked into Jughead’s eyes as if she was looking for something that her that he had been joking this entire time._

 

_“Fine. But if you drop me, I will kill you.” Betty warned._

 

_“Deal.” Jughead said triumphantly, opening his arms again._

 

_Betty looked at him skeptically, her arms folded across her chest. Finally, she accepted her fate and with a leap of faith, she jumped into Jughead’s arms. Betty wrapped her legs around Jughead’s waist and quickly wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck. Wanting to mess with her, Jughead caught Betty and then dipped her back so she was almost touching the floor. Betty squealed and held on to Jughead’s neck for dear life._

 

_“See? Not heavy at all.” Jughead said, smiling at her._

 

_“Maybe you’re just really strong.” Betty breathed._

 

_Jughead rolled his eyes, “Flattery will get you everywhere Ms. Cooper.”_

 

_Betty laughed and then squealed again when Jughead righted her and began spinning her around the room. Betty tightened her grip around Jughead’s neck and laughed uncontrollably. Jughead was so proud that he was able to make such a beautiful sound come out of such a beautiful girl._

 

_When they were both sitting back on the couch, their breathing was labored, both still a little breathless. Jughead felt his heart stutter at the way Betty was looking at him. There was a slight twinkle in her eye and her lips were slightly parted. Jughead’s eyes kept traveling between Betty’s eyes and her lips. He wanted more than anything in that moment to kiss Betty but for whatever reason he hesitated._

 

_Instead, he cleared his throat and said, “Ready to keep watching this?”_

 

_Betty smiled at him and got up to move closer on the couch so that their shoulders were touching._

 

_“Absolutely.”_

 

Jughead walked Betty’s coffee over to the library smiling at the memory. Remembering Betty’s sparkling green eyes and jubilant laughter made him grin like an idiot.

 

He then sighed heavily, they had been spending a lot of time together lately. Jughead couldn’t deny that he had feelings for Betty. It was all so new to him, he hadn’t expected to find someone he’d be interested in so soon. Jughead guessed that’s how life worked sometimes. However, he wasn’t 100% sold that Betty was interested in him, too. There had been plenty of moments over the last few weeks when they could have kissed but didn’t. Jughead wondered if Betty was just waiting for him to make a move or if she genuinely just wasn’t interested in him like that.

 

Jughead’s line of thinking was screeched to a halt at the sight of Reggie and Betty sitting behind the circulation desk. They were sitting close together and it looked like they were engaged in a serious conversation. Jughead stood by the doorway for a few moments and watched them, reminding himself that Betty had told him already they were just friends. Betty was leaning in close to Reggie, her face serious and nodding in agreement with whatever Reggie had been saying.

 

Before he could think better of it, his “brooding bad boy facade” took over and he began to walk towards where Betty and Reggie were sitting. No matter how Betty felt about him, he would take great pleasure in annoying Reggie and that’s what he planned to do. When he was halfway to the desk Betty looked up, almost as if she could sense his presence. Jughead watched as her eyes went from slight confusion to exuberant, a wide smile spreading across her face.

 

Betty’s heart was hammering in her chest. What was Jughead doing here?

 

“What’s Donnie Darko doing here?” Reggie asked, his words laced with disgust.

 

“Reggie!” Betty scolded as she got up and began walking around the desk, “Be nice.”

 

Jughead noted the look of disapproval on Reggie’s face and smirked back at him. Clearly, Reggie had a problem with Betty looking happy to see him.

 

“Jughead, what are you doing here?” Betty asked, trying to hide her surprise.

 

“I was in the area and I figured since you had so much going on today you could use some coffee,” Jughead said, offering her the coffee.

  
  


Betty smiled as she took it and smelled the top, in search of a hint as to what kind of coffee he brought her. Her eyes fluttered closed and she moaned softly as the aroma of caramel and espresso wafted through her nostrils.

 

“A caramel soy latte, my favorite!” Betty said excitedly.

 

Without thinking, Betty grabbed Jughead’s hand stepping closer to him and gave it a little squeeze.

 

“Thank you for thinking of me.” she said softly.

 

Jughead felt his cheeks flush slightly. “Anytime.”

 

“Jones,” Reggie said, “I didn’t know you came out in the light of day with that whole vampire thing you got going on.”

 

Jughead chuckled, “Oh Reginald, I didn’t know you could read, so I guess today is full of surprises for both of us.”

 

Betty watched the exchange between the two men, she guessed this was what could be called a _pissing match._ Jughead continued to smirk at Reggie as Reggie glared at Jughead in disgust. Betty sighed a little, she was used to this side of Jughead after all, the bad boy/jerk side of Jughead was the one she had gotten every other time she had seen him before their truth-or-dare date.

 

“Well Betty and I are kind of busy, so why don’t you run along and go back to typing up your dark, twisted manifesto or something.” Reggie said.

 

Betty rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed at the two boys in front of her.

 

“Were you now?” Jughead said, glancing towards Betty.

 

Betty bit her bottom lip, she didn’t want to offend Jughead. She was over the moon that he had gone out of his way to bring her coffee, but Reggie had been talking to her about something serious and she didn’t want to risk offending him either.

 

“I’ll text you later?” Betty asked.

 

Jughead felt his heart drop a little and then a moment later, a wave of jealousy rushed through him.

 

Jughead stiffened and gave her a slight nod, “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you around Betty.”

 

Betty gave Jughead an odd look as she watched him walk back out of the library. Her heart sunk when she realized that she must’ve offended him. Betty sighed and walked back around the desk to take her seat next to Reggie.

 

“What are you even doing talking to a guy like that Betty?” Reggie said, his voice dripping with disapproval.

 

Betty shot him an annoyed look, “A guy like what Reggie?”

 

Reggie raised an eyebrow at her, “C’mon Betty you can’t be serious.”

 

Betty turned to face him, “I’m 100% serious. What are you getting at Reggie?”

 

Reggie shifted in his seat, looking a little awkward.

 

“Betty, what could you possibly think a guy like Jughead would want with a perfect girl-next-door like you?” Reggie said.

 

Betty’s jaw dropped, “Jughead’s my friend Reggie!”

 

Reggie rolled his eyes, “He’s using you, Betty. Jughead just wants to get into your pants.”

 

Betty gasped, sinking her fingernails into her palms as she reigned in her temper. She stood, straightening her fingers at her sides and took a deep breath.

 

“I’m going to go to the bathroom and when I come back you better not be here.” Betty said sharply.

 

“Betty I-” Reggie began to say but Betty had already turned on her heel and walked away. By the time she had made it to the bathroom, the tears were streaming down her face. Betty looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, exhaling forcefully. Carefully she pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser and dabbed her eyes making a conscious effort not to smudge her mascara.

 

Betty didn’t know why she even bothered to be nice to people anymore. She had sat there and listened to what was going on with Reggie. She tried to be a good friend and all he had done in return was act like a jerk to her. Sure, she knew Reggie had a crush on her and probably didn’t like the idea that she could be interested in someone else but did that mean he had to be so mean?

 

Betty walked out of the bathroom and was relieved when she saw that Reggie had listened to her and left the circulation desk. She returned to her desk, got out her journalism homework and got to work in an attempt to push both Reggie and Jughead out of her mind.

 

***

 

Jughead was sitting on his couch eating some leftover Chinese food. It was pretty late, just after 10 pm but he considered himself a night owl, so being up late never really bothered him. He had been flipping through his Netflix account trying to find something to watch when he landed on Stranger Things. Jughead sighed, it had been two days since he delivered Betty her coffee and they hadn’t really talked since. The tension between him and Reggie and then the jealousy he felt when Betty said she’d text him later just proved to him that he was seriously out of his league. Jughead knew it was stupid, but he had been quite distracted by the whole encounter for the last two days.

 

Just as he was about to press play on the next episode of Stranger Things, his phone went off. Jughead struggled a little bit to pull the phone out of his jeans pocket. Looking at the screen, he felt his heart lurch forward in his chest when he saw Betty’s name on the screen. Jughead unlocked his screen and smiled when he saw a picture of chocolate chip cookies.

 

 **Jughead:** Now that’s just not fair.

 

 **Betty:** Feeling up for a late night snack?

 

Jughead put his container of General Tso’s on his coffee table and wiped his hands on his jeans before picking up his phone again. Jughead dragged a hand over his face. Why did this have to be so freaking difficult? This exact moment was the reason he never had more than a one night stand with a girl. Jughead knew he could either say yes and Betty would probably come over or he could say no and end whatever was going on between them right here, right now.

 

Jughead stared at his phone for a moment and then sighed, he knew deep down he didn’t want to end things between him and Betty- whatever they were or weren’t.

 

 **Jughead:** Sure, sounds great.

 

 **Betty:** Great! I’ll see you in a few.

 

Jughead got up from his spot on the couch and began picking up the trash that was piling up throughout his  living room. Then without putting much thought into it, he went into his bedroom and made the bed. Jughead was adjusting the last pillow when he heard a knock at the door. He couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in his stomach as he walked towards the door. Taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair, he opened the door.

 

Jughead felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of Betty standing in his doorway. She was buttoned up in her signature nude pea coat, blue jeans, grey booties and a green scarf that brought out the color in her eyes. Jughead noted that her nose looked pink and her hair fell in natural waves down her shoulders. Betty smiled at him as she held a Tupperware of chocolate chip cookies in her hands.

 

“Hey Betty.” Jughead said, stepping out of the way to let her into his apartment.

 

“Hey Jug, how are you?” Betty asked.

 

Betty noticed Stranger Things on Jughead’s TV as she set the cookies down in the kitchen and took off her coat. Betty swallowed the wave of anxiety she felt rising as she wondered if Jughead had been watching the show without her.

 

“I’m doing good.” Jughead said.

 

There was an awkward pause between the two of them. They both stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say.

 

Jughead cleared his throat, grabbed the cookies off of the table and then headed for the couch.

 

“What about you? How have you been?” Jughead asked as he sat down.

 

Betty sighed, truthfully she hadn’t been good. Reggie had been trying to contact her nonstop since the other day. Betty was doing her best to ignore Reggie, he had hurt her feelings and she really didn’t have time for people like that in her life.

 

“Fine, I guess.” she answered.

 

Betty took off her shoes and then walked over and sat down next to Jughead on the couch. Jughead couldn’t help but take notice of the sad tone in Betty’s voice. He opened the Tupperware container and selected a cookie, quickly taking a bite. As soon as the soft dough hit his tongue he groaned.

 

“I’ll still never know how you make these taste like heaven.” Jughead said appreciatively.

 

Betty smiled, “It’s my best-kept secret.”

 

Jughead smiled back at her, appreciating that the teasing banter between them had returned with ease. Jughead offered the Tupperware container for Betty to take a cookie. When she almost reached one he snatched the container back playfully before she could grab one.

 

“Mine,” he teased.

 

Betty gasped in surprise and then playfully hit him in the arm.

 

“Stop it Jughead!” Betty said laughing.

 

Jughead laughed too, “I guess I can share. Since you were nice enough to make them and all.”

 

“Gee thanks.” Betty said sarcastically.

 

Taking a cookie, Betty settled in closer to Jughead.

 

“You want to keep watching Stranger Things?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty stared at him for a moment, she couldn’t help but realize that sitting next to Jughead on his couch was the most at ease she had felt all week. There was something about his easy-going attitude and teasing personality that made her forget all the other shit going on in her life.

 

Jughead swallowed, the way Betty was looking at him caused his blood sing under his skin making his body grow warm. He tried his best to look back at her, but his eyes kept trailing down to her mouth. He wanted to kiss her so badly.

 

Betty blinked a few times, seeming to break herself out of her train of thought.

 

“Yeah, Stranger Things sounds great.” Betty said softly.

 

Jughead nodded and then reached for the TV remote on the coffee table and pressed play.

 

As the opening credits for the show began to play, Betty already knew she wasn’t going to be able to focus on the show at all. Jughead’s shoulder was pressing into hers and Betty couldn’t help but think about what Jughead’s full body weight on top of hers would feel like. Squeezing her thighs together in a vain attempt to stop the heat spreading between legs, she shifted slightly. She had been there for less than 10 minutes, how could she already be so turned on by just sitting next to Jughead on the couch?

 

Jughead’s heart was in his throat as he tried to ignore Betty shifting around slightly on the couch. He still hadn’t been able to get his body to calm down after the way she looked at him. Betty shifted again, her soft sweater brushing against the skin of his arm and he bit back a groan.

 

“You okay Betts?” Jughead asked softly.

 

Betty turned to look at him, “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

 

Jughead shifted his body slightly, putting his arm along the back of the couch so he could angle himself towards her.

 

“You just seem fidgety that’s all. Are you comfortable?”

 

Betty bit her lip, she felt like her body was on fire. She wanted to kiss Jughead, she wanted to do more than kiss him if she was being honest with herself. But what if it ruined what was happening between them? What if he rejected her?

 

Jughead smirked at Betty, “Earth to Betty?”

 

Betty gave her head a little shake, “Yeah, sorry. I’m fine Jughead, thank you.”

 

He could tell that the way Betty’s cheeks were flushed that she was feeling the same way he was- turned on.

 

Betty got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen, trying to put some distance between her and Jughead.

 

“Do you want some water?” Betty offered over her shoulder.

 

Jughead got up and followed Betty to the kitchen. He was beginning to find Betty trying not to act on how she was feeling kind of amusing. He wanted to push her a little to make the first move, this way he’d know for sure that she was into him, that she wanted this just as much as he did.

 

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Jughead asked as he walked right up behind her.

 

Betty could feel the heat radiating from Jughead’s body against her skin. She set the empty glass down on the counter and turned around slowly. Jughead was standing an inch away from her and it made Betty’s heart jump into overdrive. She nodded, not trusting herself to answer vocally.

 

Jughead gave her a sexy smile, making her mouth go dry.

 

“Are you sure Betty? You can be honest with me about how you’re feeling.”

 

Betty let out a shaky breath, “No I’m not fine actually.”

 

“What’s the problem?” Jughead asked, his voice husky and low.

 

Without putting a second thought into it, Betty grabbed Jughead’s face with her hands and crashed her lips to his. Jughead breathed in sharply, he had been wanting Betty to do this but he wasn’t prepared for how good it would feel. Jughead brought his own hands up to cup Betty’s face as they continued to kiss. After a beat, Betty pulled away to catch her breath and Jughead rested his forehead on hers.

 

“I was wondering what that would feel like.” Betty said softly.

 

Jughead chuckled lightly cocking his head to the side, “And? What’s the verdict?”

 

Betty slid her hands down Jughead’s chest, feeling his heart hammering in his chest.

 

“I definitely like kissing you,” she whispered.

 

Jughead growled low in his throat at her response and then brought his mouth to hers again. Betty moaned as Jughead pushed his tongue into her mouth, their tongues starting to explore. Jughead grabbed Betty’s hips and then lifted her up onto the counter as he started to attack Betty’s neck. He sucked and lightly bit her before running his tongue over the spot, feeling triumphant when he saw red and purple marks starting to form on her porcelain skin. Betty weaved her finger through Jughead soft waves as he continued his sensual assault on her skin. His tongue felt so good on her, she couldn’t help but think where else it would feel that good.

 

Betty pushed Jughead away slightly and then grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. Jughead paused momentarily to admire Betty in her nude lace bra. She looked absolutely radiant, sitting there on his counter, lips already beginning to swell and panting. Betty was already growing impatient so she grabbed Jughead by the neck and pulled him to her again. Their kisses were wet and hot as Jughead’s hands began to trail over Betty’s chest. He began working his way along her jaw and then down her neck to her collarbone. As he did, Jughead started massaging one of Betty’s breasts and then gave her nipple a little squeeze as he bit into her collarbone.

 

Betty’s hip jerked forward as she let out a breathy moan. Jughead smiled against Betty’s skin and then soothed her collarbone with his tongue. His fingers started to lightly move down Betty’s abdomen to the top button of her jeans. Jughead stopped kissing Betty’s neck and looked her, waiting for permission to take their heated makeout session to the next level. Betty nodded.

 

“Are you sure? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to tonight Betty.” Jughead said.

 

Betty hopped off the counter, “I’m sure.”

 

Betty unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs not breaking eye contact with Jughead. After they were pooled at her feet, she hoisted herself back up on the counter.

 

“Eager are we?” Jughead teased, raising an eyebrow.

 

Betty rolled her eyes and then pulled at the hem of Jughead’s t-shirt before he let her take it off.

 

“Shut up, Jones.” Betty said as she pulled Jughead towards her again.

 

They continued to make out heatedly and Jughead unclasped Betty’s bra. Betty wrapped her legs around Jughead’s waist, pulling him impossibly closer. As Jughead grabbed Betty’s breasts with both of his hands, Betty began to kiss his neck. Jughead had to admit that Betty’s tongue felt good on his neck and that small piece of information drove him wild. He was used to a lot of girls expecting him to the majority of the work.

 

Jughead brought his hand to the outside of Betty’s matching lace panties that. She pressed into the friction of Jughead’s hand at the apex of her thighs. Betty reached down between them and unbuttoned his jeans, she slid her hand over his erection only barely contained by his boxers.

 

“Can I touch you?” Betty asked, biting her lower lip.

 

Jughead nodded and Betty gently pushed her hand into his boxers. When she gripped his hard length, he thought he’d seen stars. Jughead pushed Betty’s underwear to the side and ran his thumb up Betty’s dripping wet heat.

 

“Holy fuck Betty, you are so wet.” Jughead said in awe.

 

Betty shivered as Jughead’s thumb skimmed lightly over her clitoris. “Oh god Jughead, I want you to touch me.”

 

Jughead continued to kiss Betty, rubbing slow circles into her clit and she jerked him off at the same pace. Jughead had never quite hooked up like this before. Normally, he just jumped straight into sex with a girl and never really bothered with foreplay. It felt primal to him like they were hormone driven teenagers trying to sneak around in one of their parent's basements.

 

Jughead paused for a moment, “Betty have you… are you…”

 

Betty stopped her movements and smirked at Jughead, “Am I a virgin?”

 

“Yeah.” Jughead said trying to calm his erratic breathing.

 

“No. No, I am not.” Betty said smiling at him shyly.

 

Jughead pressed his lips to Betty’s and continued to kiss her as he slowly pushed two fingers into Betty’s vagina.

 

Betty moaned loudly as Jughead began to move his fingers in and out of her and work her clit with his thumb at the same time. Betty had never felt so much sensation as one time before. She wrapped her free arm around Jughead’s shoulders, pulling him closer. At first, Jughead worked his fingers at a leisurely pace. The only sounds in Jughead’s apartment were their soft moans, panting in each other’s ear and occasional kisses.

 

Betty couldn’t get over how intimate this felt to her and she wondered briefly if she was making a mistake. Could they keep being friends after this? Would they hook up again? Betty was starting to lose her nerve and the heat between her legs began to fade as her thoughts spiraled into overdrive. She shook her head slightly, she did not want to think about anything else at the moment besides Jughead’s fingers inside her.

 

“Faster,” Betty whispered into Jughead’s ear.

 

Jughead smiled and began to pick up the pace, his fingers were already coated in her slick heat. Pressing harder into Betty’s sensitive nub he could feel her body start to tighten around his hand. Betty stepped up her own pace as she squeezed a little more firmly around Jughead’s erection. They both grew louder and Jughead could tell Betty’s was almost to her release as her hand movements on his cock were becoming choppy and unfocused.

 

“C’mon Betts,” Jughead pleaded through gritted teeth.

 

Betty felt her insides tighten and then snap as Jughead spoke. She threw her head back and moaned loudly as a blinding pleasure coursed through her body. Jughead came right after her, he spilled all over his lower abdomen and Betty’s hand. She rested her head against the crook of Jughead’s neck as she attempted to catch her breath. Jughead grabbed a paper towel off the counter and wiped off Betty’s hand before gently wrapping his arms around her.

 

“Wow.” Betty said breathlessly.

 

“Good?” Jughead said smugly.

 

Betty lifted her head, her eyes twinkling. “Yes” she answered breathlessly.

 

Jughead felt his smug attitude fade a little at the sight of Betty’s innocent face. He leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth, making her smile.

 

“Good, me too.” he whispered.

 

Jughead stepped back and handed Betty her bra.

 

“I’m going to go change, will you be okay for a minute?” Jughead asked.

 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll get dressed.” Betty said.

 

Jughead smiled and ran to his room to change.

 

Betty pulled on her jeans and tugged her sweater over her head. She smiled to herself as the warmth in her heart complimented the sated way she felt. She quickly washed her hands in the kitchen sink and returned to the couch while she waited for Jughead.

 

While Betty was waiting, she saw her phone screen light up on the coffee table as Reggie’s name flashed on the screen.

 

_Betty, what could you possibly think a guy like Jughead would want with a perfect girl-next-door like you?_

 

When Jughead walked out of his bedroom he saw Betty sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. His heart immediately faltered, had she really regretted what they just did that quickly? Jughead walked around the couch and sat down next to Betty. Tentatively, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

 

“Hey- are you okay?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty nodded at him and placed over him. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s not you, I promise. I just have a lot going on.”

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jughead asked, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

 

As if on cue, Betty’s phone started to ring again and she sighed. Jughead looked over at the phone on the table as Betty reached for it and gave it to him. Jughead’s brows furrowed as he looked down at the screen and saw Reggie’s name flashing.

 

“I don’t understand.” Jughead said.

 

“Reggie and I aren’t talking right now.” Betty said.

 

Jughead held up Betty’s ringing phone, “Does he know that?”

 

Betty shoved Jughead playfully, laughing. “No.”

 

“So why aren’t the two of you talking?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty bit her bottom lip and twisted her hands in her lap.

 

“When you brought me coffee the other day Reggie was talking shit about you after you left. I told him to knock it off and he um…” Betty trailed off.

 

Jughead felt a surge of anger course through him, “He what?”

 

_He’s using you Betty, Jughead just wants into your pants._

 

Betty stood and started pacing around Jughead’s apartment, trying desperately to fight the anxiety blooming in her chest. Jughead watched her for a moment and then stood, stopping Betty in her tracks.

 

“Jughead are we friends?” Betty blurted out.

 

Jughead grabbed Betty’s hands and brought her back to the couch.

 

“Yes, Betty, of course we are friends. Why do you ask?” Jughead asked, the concern evident in his voice.

 

Betty took a deep breath and sighed.

 

“Reggie said that there was no way a guy like you would want anything to do with someone like me.” Betty answered quietly.

 

Jughead swallowed, he was definitely going to punch Reggie Mantle in the face.

 

“A guy like me?” Jughead asked wearily. 

 

“I guess someone who sleeps around a lot?” Betty said weakly.

 

Jughead knitted his brows together, he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Betty put both her hands over Jughead’s and squeezed.

 

“I don’t know what he meant,” Betty said quickly, “All he said was that I was a perfect-girl-next-door and all you wanted was to get into my pants.”

 

“Technically you put your hands in my pants first so…” Jughead said teasingly. 

 

Betty paused and raised an eyebrow at him, “Seriously?”

 

Jughead laughed lightly and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto the couch with him. Betty nestled into Jughead’s side, resting her head on his chest.

 

“Betty we are friends and despite the fact that I am blown away at what happened tonight, I didn’t become friends with you so that I could hook up with you. Even if that is an added bonus.” Jughead said.

 

“Then why did you?” Betty asked quietly

 

Jughead ran his fingers through Betty’s hair thinking carefully about his answer.

 

“You know, I used to think you were that type, the perfect-girl-next-door.” Jughead answered quietly.

 

Betty lifted her head to look at Jughead, “Really?”

 

Jughead placed a hand on Betty’s cheek. He felt guilty about how he had misjudged her in the past.

 

“Yeah, but I found out very quickly that you are so much more than that.”  

 

Betty smiled at Jughead, “I used to think you were an arrogant asshole.”

 

Jughead chuckled lightly, “And now?”

 

“You’re still an arrogant asshole.” Betty said teasingly.

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at Betty and after a silent beat they both burst out laughing.

 

“I’m just kidding.” Betty whispered before she kissed Jughead once more.

 

Betty nestled back onto Jughead’s chest, her eyelids fluttered closed at the feeling of his fingers gently massaging her scalp. Jughead sighed contently and then reached for the remote, starting up Stranger Things again.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> Wow- the response to this fic so far has absolutely floored me. I am so happy you all are enjoying it so much! Thank you so much for every comment and kudo, it has been an amazing experience for me to get so much positive feedback on this fic. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed the update and I look forward to reading your thoughts :)
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	4. Beautiful Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta @bugheadfanfictionawards for being amazing and looking this over for me :)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! @peaceblessingspeyton I'd love to hear from you! <3
> 
> Please ignore the “-“ between some of the paragraphs, something is wrong with the formatting either on my Google Doc or on here and I have tried 5 times to get rid of them and they keep reappearing!

** Chapter 4 - Beautiful Disaster **

 

It was mid-afternoon and Jughead was at work at the garage located below his apartment. He was elbow deep in a 2008 Subaru Impreza that had a busted transmission among other problems. Jughead had always enjoyed working on cars. It wasn’t that he had seen it as a career but as a hobby for when the dark thoughts in his head sometimes got too loud. He enjoyed working with his hands and repairing cars kept his mind off of other things throughout his life. Plus, it was always something he and his Dad had done together- until he was arrested a few years ago. No matter what was going on in the outside world, Jughead and his Dad could work on a car together in companionable silence.

The particular repair Jughead had been working on was his favorite kind- tedious and time consuming. It had taken him almost all day but he had appreciated the busy work. Of course, that didn’t stop his thoughts from continually straying to Betty.

Jughead smiled to himself, it had been about two weeks since he and Betty had first hooked upon his kitchen counter. Due to their busy schedules, they had only seen each other occasionally and they had only hooked up one other time.

Jughead felt his cheeks flush at the memory. Betty had texted late one night claiming she couldn’t sleep and wanted to come over. Before he could even get the door open all the way Betty's lips were on his. They had ended up on his bed and after they had gotten each other off with their hands and mouths, Betty had fallen asleep peacefully in his arms. Jughead held Betty close, combing his fingers methodically through her hair wondering where she had been all his life.

There weren’t many girls Jughead had crossed paths with that made his blood sing under his skin they way Betty did.

Betty Cooper was certainly an enigma.

Even though the two of them had been talking non-stop over the last two weeks, Jughead knew Betty was still holding things back. It didn’t bother him so much as he was genuinely curious about what was going on in Betty’s life that she needed to be distracted from. She never brought it up and Jughead didn’t know how to bring it up without upsetting her. Although, as he was progressively getting to know her better, it was getting easier to tell when everything was becoming too much for her to handle. She would get this far off look in her eyes like she was disappearing out of consciousness and she would clench her fists so tight her knuckles would turn white. Jughead took pride in how easily he could bring Betty back from it, all he had to do was place a hand firmly on her arm and she would return in an instant, with a smile on her face. Jughead knew it was stupid, but he liked to believe that that smile Betty gave- beautiful and raw in those moments- was just for him.

On the other hand, Jughead knew that Betty’s newfound friendship with him wasn’t exactly going over well with her other friends. However, Betty hadn’t been 100% forthcoming with that detail until last week when Reggie had confronted Jughead at school.

 

_***_

  _J_ _ughead had just walked out of his last class for the day and was beginning to enter the quad when Reggie stopped him in his tracks._

_“Can I help you with something Reginald?” Jughead said, his voice dripping with sarcasm._

 

  _“Yeah, stay away from Betty.” Reggie said._

 

_Jughead smirked, “Seriously Reggie? And what, pray tell, makes you think you actually have a say in something like that?”_

 

_“Betty’s my friend and I know what is best for her and it isn’t a loser like you.” Reggie seethed._

 

_Jughead laughed. He was older than most of the kids on this campus and had been putting up with overrated jocks his entire life. They didn’t bother him then and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let someone like Reggie Mantle bother him now._

_“Last time I checked, Betty was my friend too and according to her you haven’t been a very good friend lately.” Jughead threw back._

 

_Reggie glared at him, “Betty doesn’t need a fuckboy like you messing around with her emotions, she’s in a sensitive state right now.”_

 

_Jughead rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Oh my god, is that pity I hear? Do you actually think you’re protecting Betty? Or are you just upset she’s outgrowing you?”_

 

_Reggie’s ear grew red. “You don’t know what you are talking about.”_

 

_“Oh I think I do.  I know that a woman like Betty Cooper can take care of herself. If she doesn’t want me around anymore I think she’ll be the first to tell me but until then I’m not going anywhere.” Jughead said firmly._

 

Jughead had told Betty about his encounter with Reggie later that evening. He had asked her if Reggie or anyone else had been giving her a hard time about their friendship. Apparently, all of Betty’s friends were giving her a hard time, his past fuckboy status wasn’t exactly winning him any brownie points.

 

_“Betty, if you don’t want to be friends with me anymore… I completely understand.” Jughead said grimacing._

 

_“NO!” Betty practically yelled._

 

_Jughead gave her a wry smile._

 

_“No.” Betty said more quietly, “You are my friend Jughead and honestly, I feel better when I’m around you. Please don’t let the drama I’m having with my friends get to you. I can handle it.”_

 

Jughead didn’t even attempt to hide the face-splitting grin Betty’s confession had brought him. It had been awhile since someone had stood up for his friendship in a long time. Betty Cooper was a force to be reckoned with, so in the end, he had let it go.

 

Jughead had to admit, their arrangement was strange but he knew that Betty felt the same way that he did about her. They both liked each other but neither of them were in a rush to put a serious label on anything yet. Jughead appreciated this part about them and truthfully he and Betty had been incredibly busy between work and school to even discuss something like that. Most nights when they saw each other they would either study or eat pizza and watch Netflix. When they had energy they would talk but otherwise, they just enjoyed each other’s company. Jughead had grown to love the ease that flowed between them and naively let himself hope it would always be that way.

 

However, Jughead would be lying if he said he didn’t want to know what dark secrets Betty was still hiding behind her gorgeous fern green eyes.

 

He couldn’t blame her though, there was plenty about his own dark past that Jughead was unsure he’d ever say out loud to Betty or anyone at all for that matter. He wondered what Betty would think about him when she found out his Dad was a criminal and currently in prison. Or how she would look at him differently when she found out the things he had to do to repay his father’s debt.

 

Jughead shuddered at the thought. Dark flashbacks of a woman called the Snake Charmer and drug running ran through his mind as his stomach clenched uneasily.

 

Suddenly, a pair of hands went over his eyes startling him.

 

“Surprise!!” yelled a familiar female voice.

 

Jughead whipped around, “Toni? What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m here to see you! Ya weirdo!” Toni said happily as she wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck.

 

Jughead felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as his mind began to race. Of course, he had been happy to see his old best friend/ ex-girlfriend but why was Toni here? Why had she come unannounced? He hoped it had nothing to do with what happened between them over the winter break.

 

***

 

Betty walked to the coffee shop, pulling her scarf up in a failed attempt to keep the biting cold wind away from her face. The one thing that Betty absolutely despised about the winter months was the fact that it got dark outside so quickly. Betty’s day were so jam-packed from sun up to sun down that she barely had time to enjoy the sun at all these days. She knew without a doubt that it was starting to mess with her mental state.

 

The street Betty was walking had well it street lamps but it was almost deserted. It was a silent evening walk, the only exception was the sound of the salt crunching under her boots. However, Betty couldn’t help the anxiety that was starting to creep into her chest. Carefully, Betty looked over her shoulder- was someone following her? There was no one behind her and there was no one across the street.

 

Betty sighed, she was definitely losing her mind. Even though her hometown of Riverdale was three hours away, Betty couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching her. Images of driving the dead drug dealer’s corpse to an abandoned sewer pipe flashed through her mind. Betty clenched her fist and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the dark thoughts to go away. She had gone over every meticulous detail in an effort to make sure no one would find the body and if they did, it couldn’t be traced back to her or her mother.

 

Betty shook her head. Her mother was another person who had lost their mind. The morning after, her mother and Chic were sitting at the dining room table eating pancakes like nothing ever happened. They continued to act that way, which was the whole reason Betty left and returned to campus early. She couldn’t sit there anymore and pretend like nothing happened. Like the police weren’t going to eventually find that strangers body and trace it back to them. It made her stress and anxiety too high, to the point where she couldn’t breathe.

 

The stress and anxiety hadn't gotten any better here at school but at least she didn’t have people to answer to.

 

Well, that wasn’t true. Her friends had noticed the dramatic change in her behavior and it was honestly getting annoying how much Veronica and Cheryl were pestering her about what was wrong. Betty still couldn’t stand to look at Reggie, she was still upset about what he had said to her in the library. The only two people she could really stand to talk to were Kevin and Jughead. Kevin was also her only friend that wasn’t giving her shit for being friends with Jughead.

 

Betty couldn’t help grinning at the thought of Jughead. She sighed affectionately, thinking about the last time she saw him. She had been working in the library for a few hours and out of nowhere, Betty felt like someone was looking at her. When she raised her head from her textbook to look around, she locked eyes with Jughead’s. Cerulean crashing into viridescence. Betty felt her cheeks flush and out of habit, quickly looked away. When she looked back, Jughead was still staring at her, a sexy smirk plastered across his face. She loved how he stared at her unapologetically like he wasn’t ashamed that he couldn’t stop looking at her. Eventually, he had come over at and sat with her at the same study table. They didn’t say much, just worked together silently as if their presence was enough for the other.

****

Betty reached the coffee shop and walked up to the counter to place her coffee order.

 

Betty didn’t care that her friends had been giving her such a hard time about Jughead. She loved spending time with him and she felt better when she was with him. Betty couldn’t explain it if she tried. It was like she walked around day in and day out with this tightness in her chest that she couldn’t get rid of. The only time the feeling eased was when she was with Jughead.

****

She didn’t know how to describe what was going on between them. They had hooked up twice already but hadn’t gone all the way and they had kissed a few times outside of that. Betty knew that Jughead liked her and that the way he treated her and acted around her was genuine but they didn’t have any label past “friends”. Betty tried not to read into that too much though because truthfully, they hadn’t discussed it. Betty had never asked Jughead what they were and he hadn’t asked her either but he continued to text and call her and confessed he enjoyed spending time with her on more than one occasion. For now, she wasn’t going to push it. As much as she enjoyed whatever they were doing, Betty couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel if Jughead had been hooking up with other girls all this time.

 

Grabbing her coffee, Betty walked across the cafe and settled into an open booth. She got out her laptop and her study notes.

 

Betty wasn’t stupid, she knew Jughead could tell something was going on with her. Sometimes, even when she was with him, the darkness became too much and memories of the traumatic night in her childhood home would come crashing down on her. Instead of asking her what was wrong, Jughead would place his hand firmly on her arm or on her knee and ground her in the present. He was quickly becoming her anchor to what was real and what wasn’t. Betty knew that was too much pressure to put on one person but she couldn’t help it. She felt like Jughead was one of the only people in her life who actually  _saw_ her. He was one of the very few who ever saw past the perfect girl-next-door facade she had carefully put into place over the years.

 

However, Betty had a strong inkling that Jughead had his own darkness he was keeping locked away. When they got on the topic of family, Jughead always changed the subject. It was in the way he rolled his eyes a little whenever she talked about the problems she had with her mother.

****

The first time he had done it, Betty had been a little hurt so she eventually asked him about it.

****

_“Why do you always roll your eyes when I talk about the relationship with my mother?” Betty asked, defensively._

****

_Jughead sighed heavily, “I don’t do it on purpose Betts… it just that…”_

****

_“It’s fine Jug, I won’t talk about my Mom anymore. I don’t need to bother you with it anyway.” Betty said quickly, moving to get up from the couch._

 

_“Betty no-” Jughead said sharply, putting his hands over hers. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to come off like a jerk.”_

****

_Betty watched as Jughead shifted uncomfortably and she waited patiently for him to continue. After a few moments of silence, Betty gave Jughead’s hands a gentle squeeze making him look at her. Betty could see the pain clouding his crystal blue eyes._

 

_“You don’t need to tell me Jug, it’s ok.” Betty said gently._

****

_“I just don’t share stuff that personal with people very often. It’s hard for me to open up to people and when I do people usually just feel sorry for me when really all I want is-”_

****

_“For people to understand why you are the way that you are?” Betty finished._

****

_Jughead gave her a small appreciative smile, “Yeah. Exactly that.”_

****

_Betty gently put her hand on Jughead’s cheek, brushing her thumb softly over his cheekbone._

****

_“Jughead, I promise if you ever do want to share something with me, I will never pity you.”_

****

_The way Jughead looked at her after she said that had taken her breath away. It was like she was the first person in Jughead’s entire life that had truly seen him for the very first time. It made her heart ache for him. What in the world had this young man gone through that caused him to be so emotionally cut off?_

****

_Jughead cupped the back of Betty’s neck and pulled her closer to him and placed a kiss on her lips. Betty’s eyes fluttered closed at the contact, the kiss was soft and slow and full of promise. When he pulled away Betty opened her eyes and looked at him._

_“Thank you, Betty.” Jughead said softly._

****

_Betty gave him a small crooked smile, “Anytime.”_

 

***

Betty’s phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, pausing her thoughts. She blinked a few times and sighed, wondering how long she had been zoned out for.

****

**Kevin:** McNalley’s tonight?

 

 **Betty:** No way Kev! I have way too much work to do.

****

**Kevin:** C’mon Betty! You haven’t been out in forever! Joaquin is coming and he promised to bring Jughead ;)

****

Betty laughed to herself, Kevin definitely knew she had a soft spot.

****

**Betty:** FINE! But you are bringing me a latte tomorrow afternoon while I work at the library!

****

**Kevin:** DEAL! I’ll pick you up around 8pm.

****

**Betty:**  See you then :)

****

Betty then realized that she had barely heard from Jughead all day. Betty checked her phone and frowned slightly, he hadn’t even responded to her good morning text. She knew he had been working but that usually didn’t stop him texting her.

****

Betty put her phone back in her pocket and decided to think nothing of it. Now that she was going out with Kevin, she needed to focus on getting some work done. She would see Jughead later.

****

***

Toni pulled away from their embrace, “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

****

“Of course I am.” Jughead said, hoping he didn’t sound fake.

****

Toni gave Jughead a small smile and raised her eyebrows, giving him her knowing look.

****

“Are you almost done down here?” Toni asked.

****

“Almost. Here,” Jughead said handing Toni his apartment keys. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get settled in and I’ll meet you up there?”

****

“Sure thing, Jug.” Toni said.

****

With a turn on her heel, Toni went up to Jughead’s apartment, her long curls disappearing out of view. Jughead sighed heavily, he knew sleeping with Toni when he went home briefly over winter break would turn into a monumental mistake.

****

Jughead originally had no plans of returning to the city for the winter break but TallBoy had asked him to go pick something up for him. Jughead knew it’d be too much to make the trip in back and forth in one day and he didn’t really want to pay to stay in a hotel. So, he had texted Toni. When he had seen her last before he left for school, Toni had told him to give her a ring if he was ever back in the city. Jughead expected to catch up with her and sleep on her couch. What he hadn’t expected was getting slightly drunk and having sex with Toni on said couch.

****

Jughead grimaced at the memory.

****

It’s not that it hadn’t been enjoyable but Jughead had instantly regretted it the next morning. He suspected that Toni still had unrequited feelings for him and before Toni could wake up and talk to him about it, he left. Jughead had left a note for her stating that he had to make an early start and didn’t want to wake her. He recognized that it wasn’t his proudest moment and he didn’t want to let Toni get more ideas than she probably already had.

****

Jughead wondered if that was why Toni was here now- to talk about the fact they had slept together and that he had cut and run and hadn't contacted her since.

****

Jughead finished up his work on the Subaru, wiped off his hands with a rag and headed upstairs to his apartment.

Jughead walked through the door and ran his fingers through his unruly hair, dropping his signature grey beanie onto his kitchen table. Jughead looked around his front room, he considered his shabby rundown apartment the first place he could really call home.

****

TallBoy had offered him the place at a reduced rate after Jughead agreed to work for him. He had furnished the place himself and paid the utilities each month on his own. The apartment was a little worse for wear. The kitchen cabinets were a little beat up, the bathroom sink never stopped dripping and the walls could definitely use a new coat of paint. Jughead didn’t care. This place was his and therefore it was home.

****

Toni was sitting on the couch looking at her phone when he had come in. Jughead gave her a small smile as he crossed the room and sat down next to her.

****

“So Toni, it’s not that I’m not happy to see you but- what are you doing here?”

****

Toni rolled her eyes at him, “Always so serious Jones.”

****

“You of all people should know that I don’t like surprises.” he shot back, trying to keep his tone light.

****

Toni laughed, “You’re right I’m sorry. I just didn’t think you’d let me come visit if I told you I wanted to come.”

****

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck, that one hurt a little but he couldn’t ignore that Toni was right.

****

“Well, you’re here now which brings me back to my original question- why?”

****

Toni’s smile faded a little as she sighed and moved closer to him.

****

“I miss you.” Toni said quietly putting her hand on top of his.

****

Jughead stiffened, guilt crashing over him.

****

He sighed, “Toni I-”

****

“C’mon Jug, we’re not kids anymore. We can be together and not worry about all that extra shit.” Toni said, leaning closer.

****

“That stuff doesn’t just go away Toni. I’m not the same person you knew back then, I’ve changed.” Jughead said firmly.

****

Toni moved closer, putting her hand on Jughead’s cheek. He could feel Toni’s breath on his lips as the smell of her vanilla sugar perfume filled his nostrils.

****

“So give me the chance to get to know you, give us a chance.” Toni whispered.

Jughead was just about to pull away, knowing what was going to come next when Joaquin and Sweet Pea burst through the door of his apartment. Jughead and Toni sprang apart.

****

Sweet Pea burst out laughing while Joaquin gave him a confused disappointed look.

****

“Don’t you two know how to knock?!” Jughead snapped.

****

“Sorry Jug- it’s not like you put a sock on the door.” Joaquin shot back.

****

“Yeah, normally you’re smart enough to lock the door when you have a lady friend up here.” Sweet Pea said, trying to get his giggling under control.

****

“You’re not interrupting anything,” Toni chirped, getting up and walking over to them. “I’m Jughead’s friend Toni, we grew up together. I’m here visiting.”

****

Toni shook hands with both Sweet Pea and Joaquin and then went back to the couch to sit down.

****

“Well we just came to see if Jughead wanted to come down to McNally’s with us.” Sweet Pea asked.

****

“What’s McNally’s?” Toni asked.

****

“The local bar we all go to. You’re more than welcome to join us.” Sweet Pea answered.

****

Jughead looked past Sweet Pea to Joaquin who was trying to communicate something to him. Jughead squinted slightly, but he could’ve sworn Joaquin was trying to tell him “No.”

****

“Eh, I think Toni and I will say in tonight.” Jughead said.

****

“No let’s go Jug! We haven’t been out together in such a long time, it sounds fun!” Toni said.

****

“Great! It’s decided! Go get ready Jones.” Sweet Pea said.

****

Jughead couldn’t help but note that Joaquin rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh but he ignored him and went to his room to change. He decided on a black thermal long sleeve, with dark jeans and his black combat boots. Running his fingers through his hair, he decided to leave his beanie at home for the evening.

****

He walked out into the front room to friend Toni and Sweet Pea talking animatedly on the couch while Joaquin was leaning on the kitchen island on his phone.

****

“Alright, I’m ready.” Jughead said, “Let’s get going.”

****

Toni stood up, “Yay!” she practically squealed, clapping her hands together.

****

***

Betty stood in front of her bathroom mirror applying makeup to her face. Normally Betty didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but for tonight she decided to put on some eyeliner and mascara. As she was putting on her signature pink lip gloss, Veronica came and stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

****

“You look good tonight B, are you dressing up for anyone special?” Veronica asked, quirking a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

****

Betty pursed her lips in the mirror and then smiled at her reflection before turning to her friend.

****

“Maybe.” Betty said, pushing her way past Veronica and heading to her room.

 

Veronica rolled her eyes and smirked, following closely behind her best friend to her room.

****

“And would this special person be Jughead?” Veronica asked coyly.

****

Betty sighed, “What if I say yes? Are you going to give me more shit about the poor choices you think I’m making?”

****

“Betty…” Veronica said in shock.

****

Betty sat on her bed and pulled on her shoes.

****

“V, he makes me happy ok? Happier than I have felt in a really long time. I don’t know what we are or what’s going to happen next with us but I’m in no rush to figure it out. I just wish you’d be happy for me.” Betty said.

****

Veronica gave Betty a sympathetic look and then sat down on the bed next to her.

****

“I am happy for you B, I just want you to be careful with your heart you know?” Veronica said quietly.

****

“I get that V- really I do. I just wish you could be nicer about it.” Betty confessed.

****

“I’m just worried about you!” Veronica almost shouted. “You’re not the type to just hook up with a guy with no commitment. It’s not like you. Jughead Jones is a known fuckboy around campus. What if he hurts you?”

****

“And what if he doesn’t?” Betty challenged.

****

Veronica sighed accepting defeat, “Ok B, you win. I’ll be nicer about- whatever it is that you have going on with Jughead.”

****

Betty gave her best friend and gentle hug, “Thank you, Veronica.”

****

Veronica returned her hug. “Anytime.”

****

They heard a knock at the apartment door. “That must be Kevin.” Betty said.

****

Betty gathered up her phone, wallet, and keys and threw them in her purse.

****

“So how good is Mr. Tall Dark and Stormy between the sheets?” Veronica quipped.

****

“ _VERONICA!_ ” Betty scolded in mock horror.

****

The two girls giggled and made their way out of the apartment with Kevin.

****

***

 

The second Jughead had walked into McNally’s, it finally dawned on him why Joaquin was giving him such a hard time about Toni’s visit.

****

_Betty._

****

Jughead fished his phone out of his pocket realizing he hadn’t texted her all day. He unlocked his phone and read the handful of messages that Betty had sent, the most recent catching his eye.

****

**Betty:** Heading to McNally’s later- see you there?

****

“Fuck.” Jughead cursed to himself.

****

“C’mon Jug! Let’s get a drink.” Toni said, waving her hand in the direction of the bar.

****

Jughead dragged his hand over his face and walked over to the bar just as the bartender was lining up a round of tequila shots. Technically, Jughead knew he had nothing to worry about. He and Betty were just friends and he and Toni were just friends. He didn’t even know for sure if Betty had for feelings for him! However, he wasn’t naive enough not to realize how it would look to Betty when she got here. Especially with the way that Toni was hanging all over him.

****

Toni handed him a tequila shot, a mischievous smirk on her face. He couldn’t help but smirk back and then they tapped their shot glasses on the bar and shot the clear liquid back. Jughead winced slightly as the burning liquid went down his throat, leaving a fiery taste in his mouth.

****

“Ugh,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Glad to see some things haven’t changed.”

****

“Oh, you’d be surprised Jones.” Toni shot back.

**

Outside, Betty, Kevin, and Veronica were walking up the street towards the bar.

“So Kev- is your new bae meeting us there?” Veronica asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Kevin smiled back at her, “Yeah, he should actually be there already. Let me check my phone.”

****

Betty smiled at Kevin, she was happy for him and that he had found someone to date. Especially someone like Joaquin who was out in the open with their sexuality. Kevin had dated so many low lives that were still in the closet and they all treated Kevin like garbage in the end. There had been too many nights Betty held Kevin, tears streaming down his face as he wondered if he would ever find true love.

****

Kevin paused on the sidewalk, his brows knitting together as he typed furiously into his phone.

****

“Everything ok Kev?” Betty asked.

****

“Yeah…” Kevin said, reading the text coming in.

****

Betty stepped closer to him, feeling like something was off.

****

“Are you sure?” Betty said wearily.

****

Kevin looked up at Betty and then back at his phone, like he was trying to make a decision about something.

****

“Shoot, you know what. I forgot my wallet back at the apartment.” Kevin said, sounding shocked.

****

Veronica rolled her eyes at him, “Seriously, Kevin? I asked you if you had everything before we left!”

****

“I know! I’m sorry- Betty can you come back with me to go get it?” Kevin asked.

****

“Me? Why can’t you go by yourself?” Betty asked confused.

****

“I don’t want to go alone and Archie is already waiting for Veronica.” Kevin whined.

****

Betty rolled her eyes, she really just wanted to get into the bar to see Jughead. If Joaquin was already there then Betty assumed that Jughead was too. Kevin gave her his best puppy dogs eyes, his bottom lip sticking out a little further than the top one.  

****

“Fine Kev, I’ll come with you. But let’s make it quick.” Betty said, trying not to sound annoyed.

****

“We will, we’ll be quick like a bunny!” Kevin said.

****

“Archie and I will get a table.” Veronica said shrugging.

“Thanks Veronica!” Kevin said as he grabbed Betty’s hand and tugged her back in the direction of the apartment.

 

***

****

Back at the bar, Jughead downed his third tequila shot with Toni. Normally he wasn’t a big drinker but the edges of his mind were beginning to buzz and therefore, he was starting to care less about his current activity.

****

“Woo!” Toni whooped as she downed another.

****

Jughead laughed and shook his head. Jughead looked over his shoulder to see Joaquin on his cell phone. Jughead gave him a light nudge in the shoulder, Joaquin looked at him.

 

“Hey- what’s with you tonight? You haven’t gotten off your phone.” Jughead said.

****

“I’m just texting Kevin,” Joaquin replied, not making eye contact with him.

****

Jughead couldn’t wrap his mind around why Joaquin had been acting so strangely throughout the entire evening.

****

“Is everything ok?” Jughead asked

****

Joaquin rolled his eyes and shot him a look. “Everything’s great.” Joaquin said, his voice dripping with faux enthusiasm.

****

Jughead was a little taken aback by Joaquin’s behavior, he didn’t usually act like this. Jughead felt a flare of annoyance bloom in his chest.

 

“Ok then…” Jughead huffed.

****

Joaquin went back to texting on his cell phone so Jughead turned his attention back to Toni and Sweet Pea.

 

***

 

Betty and Kevin had made it back to the apartment in record time.

****

“Alright Kev, where do you think you left it?” Betty asked as she opened her apartment door.

****

“Uh… on the couch maybe? I was sitting there before we left.” Kevin said.

****

Betty walked over and started checking the couch cushions and then sighed in frustration.

****

“I don’t see it Kev.” Betty called over her shoulder.

 

She turned around to see Kevin with a sheepish look on his face.

****

“What?” Betty asked, starting to feel annoyed.

****

Kevin pulled his wallet out from behind him. Betty’s eyes widened as she breathed in sharply through her nose.

****

“I guess I had it the whole time… whoops.” Kevin said wearily.

****

“Seriously Kevin?” Betty growled.  

 

“Sorry?” Kevin said weakly.

 

Betty groaned and then walked back out of her apartment, pushing Kevin out in front of her. She thought the situation was so odd. Kevin wasn’t even wearing a jacket, how could he not realize his wallet was in his pants pocket this whole time? Betty idly wondered what Kevin was up to as they got out onto the sidewalk and started walking back towards the bar.

****

***

 

Jughead was standing at the bar when he could feel someone’s gaze boring into the back of his skull. When he finally turned around, he was met with a furious look from Veronica Lodge. Jughead swallowed and casually looked around the bar for any sign of Betty but he didn’t find the sight of the golden-haired goddess anywhere so he shook the feeling off.

****

_We’re just friends, we’re just friends, we’re just friends._

****

Jughead continued to chant this to himself until he didn’t know who he was trying to convince anymore. Just then, Toni slid a hand around his lower back pressing her body up against his. Jughead's mind was starting to spin a little for all of the tequila shots he had consumed in such a short amount of time.

****

“Can I help you with something Toni?” Jughead quipped, raising an eyebrow at her.

****

Toni wrapped her other hand around Jughead’s waist, pulling herself closer to him.

****

“Oh I’m sure you can help me with a lot of things Jughead.” Toni shot back seductively.

****

Jughead felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was too hot in this bar and between Toni pushing up on him and all the other bodies in the room he felt like the walls were closing in.

****

“I need some air.” Jughead said, pushing Toni off him and then heading for the door.

****

“Jug wait-” Toni called after him.

****

Jughead made it out onto the concrete sidewalk and drew in a huge breath of air. The cold air of the night enveloped him and sharpened his senses, immediately making him feel better. He chided himself for drinking so much and letting Toni come on to him. He had ended things with her a long time ago and for good reason, it was time he let her know. Before he could turn around to go back into the bar, Toni was coming out the door to meet him.

****

“Hey, there you are.” Toni said, looking concerned. “What’s up with you?”

****

“I just needed some air,” Jughead said quietly, “I felt like the walls were closing in on me in there.”

****

“Well, you never were much for big crowds.” Toni replied, “I guess some things haven’t changed.”

****

Jughead had to laugh a little at that one. He was always the weirdo loner outsider that barely had any friends. It was as if it was his own personal brand.

****

“Yeah I guess.”

****

Toni shifted uneasily on her feet, “Jug, there’s something I need to tell you.”

****

Jughead chest squeezed uneasily, he knew what was coming next. “Toni you don’t have to say anything.”

****

Toni stepped closer, “No, I want to. Jughead I…” Toni’s voice trailed off.

****

“You what Toni?” Jughead asked, his feelings of unease were on the rise.

****

Toni grabbed Jughead’s shirt and pulled him towards her, leaning up on her tippy toes, Toni connected her lips to Jughead’s.

****

Jughead froze momentarily and then his senses returning, he pushed Toni away from him.

****

“What are you doing?!” Jughead said, stepping back in disgust.

****

“Jughead I still have feelings for you!” Toni pleaded.

****

“Toni, we’ve been over this. I don’t have feelings for you anymore, I just need you to accept that.” Jughead said quietly.

****

“But why can’t you just give us a chance Jug? Maybe if we tried… you might change your mind.”

****

Jughead stared at Toni for a moment, the broken anguish written all over her face. He did care about Toni and because of that, he considered her question for a moment. Jughead never wanted to hurt Toni, that was the last thing he wanted. He wondered briefly if he could give them a chance and played the possibility out in his mind. Then realization dawned on him.

****

“Toni, the truth is I can’t give us a chance because I have feelings for someone else.” he confessed. 

****

Toni stepped back, shock and then confusion crossing her face.

****

“Oh,” she said, quietly. “Is it recent?”

****

Jughead gave her a small smile, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, it kind of is.”

****

Toni nodded, not being able to meet his eyes. “Well, then I’m happy for you Jug. You deserve to be happy.”

****

“Thanks Toni.”

****

They stood in silence for a moment, both of them were staring at their feet- not really able to look at one another.

****

“Alright,” Toni said, letting out a shaky breath. “Should we get back in there? I think your friend Sweet Pea is into me.”

****

Jughead let out a laugh, “Hate to break it to you but Sweet Pea is pretty much into anything with legs.”

****

Toni laughed as the two of them headed back into the bar together.

 

***

Betty and Kevin rounded the corner down the street from the bar. At this point, Betty wondered if there had been really any point to coming out at all. By the time they got to the apartment and made their way to come back, it had been about 40 minutes since Kevin realized his wallet was missing. The only thing keeping Betty from turning around and calling it a night was the idea of seeing Jughead. A small group of butterflies kicked up in her stomach, making Betty smile. Just then, her phone started to ring in her pocket. Betty looked at her phone screen to see Veronica’s name flashing across it.

****

“Hey V, we’re almost there. what’s up?” Betty said as she answered the phone.

****

“Betty- did you know Jughead has a girlfriend?”

****

Betty stopped dead in her tracks, feeling like a bucket of ice water was just dropped over her head.

****

“What?” she replied breathlessly. Kevin gave her a concerned look but Betty ignored it. “What are you talking about Veronica?”

“I just sent you a picture. I know Jughead usually sleeps around but this looked like more to me.”

****

Betty brought her phone down from her ear, her brows knitting together. Her heart is pounding almost painfully in her chest as she clicked on the new iMessage notification on the screen. Sure enough, Veronica sent her a photo of Jughead kissing a girl out on the sidewalk in front of McNally’s. Betty let out a shaky breath and looked up the street towards the bar. There were people on the sidewalk but she was almost 100% positive that none of them were Jughead.

****

“Are they still there?” Betty asked wearily.

****

“Yeah, they just came back in.” Veronica said, conspiratorially.

 

“V, I have to go.” Betty said curtly and then hit the end button on her phone screen.

****

Immediately, she turned around and headed back to her apartment.

****

“Betty! Where are you going?” Kevin called after her.

****

“Just leave me alone Kev!” Betty yelled before breaking into a run back down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> Oyy! Drama already between these two! lol What do we think? Will Jughead be able to make up with Betty and explain the situation? Will she even give him the chance to explain? We'll see :)
> 
> Looking forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter!!! 
> 
> P & B,
> 
> -Peyton


	5. Maintenance Only

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal shout to those of you who have left a kudo or a comment, I'm in love with this story and I am so happy that so many of you are too <3 Thank for all the love and words of encouragement, it means more than you know :)
> 
> Thank you as always to my beta @bugheadfanfictionawards for looking this over for me! 
> 
> Warning: SMUT at the end of this chapter.

**Chapter 5 - Maintenance Only**

 

Jughead stood on the sidewalk waving at the back of Toni’s beat up Toyota Corolla. Last night had been good for them, they had partied like they used to as kids and had a long heart to heart. Jughead hoped that with some time, Toni would see that she wasn’t actually in love with him, but more in love with the idea of what they used to be.  

 

Once Toni’s car disappeared around the corner, Jughead wearily took his cell phone out of his pocket and checked it. He hadn’t heard from Betty since yesterday morning and after what happened at the bar last night, he couldn’t shake the feeling that her lack of texts were intentional. He sighed, recalling the strange interaction with Kevin, Joaquin’s boyfriend and coincidentally, Betty’s best friend.

 

_It had been about an hour since Jughead had walked back into the bar after the awkward kiss and even more awkward love confession from Toni. They had seemed to have been able to shake off the awkwardness after another round of tequila shots and were laughing, carefree with Sweet Pea at the bar. Toni was in the middle of an embarrassing story about Jughead in high school when he had looked over his shoulder towards the bar entrance for what seemed like the 100th time. Jughead sighed and checked his phone. He had been waiting in anticipation for Betty to show up for what seemed like hours now. He couldn’t help but feel more and more pathetic each time he heard the bar door open and he looked over, disappointment sunk deep in his chest when none of them were Betty._

 

_He typed a quick message._

 

**_Jughead:_ ** _Hey, you still coming down to McNally’s?_

 

_A few minutes later, Joaquin finally reappeared and Kevin was now with him. Jughead couldn’t ignore that Kevin was glaring at him while Joaquin still couldn’t look him in the eye. Jughead met Joaquin during orientation and they had instantly bonded over their dark humor, deep hatred toward peppy people, and the fact that both their dads were in prison. Joaquin quickly become his best friend and closest confidant. Jughead didn’t trust people easily, but over the last two and a half years, Joaquin had proven his loyalty over and over again. So the fact that his best friend couldn’t look him in the eye the entire night was seriously starting to bother him._

 

_“Hey man, there you are! You’ve been missing all night.”_

 

_Joaquin raised his eyebrows and nodded, “Yeah.”_

 

_Jughead’s eyebrows knitted together, he was really confused. He leaned closer to Joaquin, their shoulders pushing together._

 

_“Is everything okay?” Jughead asked quietly, “I feel like you’re mad at me.”_

 

_Joaquin pressed his lips into a thin line and remained silent. He could practically feel Kevin’s glare boring into him through Joaquin’s head._

 

_“C’mon dude, you’ve never been mad at me before.” Jughead said laughing lightly, running his fingers through his hair. “I feel like I’m out of my element here.”_

 

_Jughead made puppy dog eyes at his friend, making Joaquin roll his eyes in return and laugh. Jughead smiled back, hoping that this alleviated at least a small amount of tension between them. Before Jughead could question Joaquin further, Kevin scoffed at him and pulled Joaquin out of the way._

 

_“You are a sad excuse for a man.” Kevin spat at him, his words slurring a little._

 

_Jughead smirked a little, but he was slightly confused “Oh yeah Kev? What have I done to offend you this time?”_

 

_“You don’t deserve a woman like Betty Cooper.” Kevin slurred again._

 

_“What?” Jughead asked, immediately becoming serious._

 

_“Okay, it’s definitely time to go.” Joaquin said grabbing Kevin’s hand and pulling him away from the bar._

 

_“Wait, Kevin what do you mean by that?” Jughead asked again, but he didn’t get an answer._

 

_Jughead frowned as he watched Joaquin and Kevin disappear into the crowd._

 

Jughead scratched the back of his neck as he looked through his texts one more time - just to make sure he hadn’t accidentally missed a message from Betty somehow. He sighed and decided that he would be the one to text Betty first.

 

**Jughead:** Morning Betts (: I missed you last night...everything ok???

 

Jughead stared at his phone screen for a long moment, willing the response bubbles to pop-up like usual but when they didn’t arrive, Jughead pocketed his phone and headed back up to his apartment.

 

Betty’s sudden silence was definitely making his confidence waver, he and Betty had been talking non-stop for the past few weeks but Jughead was trying not to let his thoughts run away from him. Thinking about what Kevin said to him last night once more, Jughead pulled out his phone again and called Joaquin to get to the bottom of what was going on with him last night. He was hoping once he fixed things with Joaquin, Jughead could get him to spill the beans on what Kevin said last night.

 

***

 

Betty stared at her cell phone for what felt like hours as she read and reread Jughead’s text messages. Yesterday, a text message like the one he had sent would’ve made her swoon but today it only hurt. Betty sighed deeply and set her phone back on her desk before pulling her bed covers back over her head. How could she have been so stupid? Every single person in her life told her to be careful around Jughead; she had been warned numerous times since their first date but Betty hadn’t wanted to believe them.

 

Betty rolled her eyes at herself, throwing the covers back dramatically and blowing the hair that had fallen in front of her face. Of course she hadn’t believed the warnings she had gotten from people. If Betty was being 100% honest with herself, she was addicted to the way she felt when she was with Jughead. After the trauma of what happened when she was home over winter break, being around Jughead made her feel weightless in comparison… like she could finally breathe. The stress, anxiety and fear dissolving as soon as he gave her his signature boyish grin. The same grin that Betty convinced herself, at the time, was only for her.

 

Betty wasn’t living in denial, she knew that she and Jughead had the title of friends. But ever since their first date couldn’t help but feel like Jughead liked her more than just a friend. He had never out right said it but it was in the way that Jughead tucked her hair behind her ear when they were having a moment or how he always brought her coffee when she was working in the library. Betty hadn’t had too many boyfriends over the years but she had been sure that guys who just want to be your friend don’t do those things.

 

Betty trapped her lower lip between her teeth and sighed for felt like the millionth time since she had woken up that morning. She ran the night through her mind one more time. Veronica called her and asked her if she knew Jughead had a girlfriend. When she didn’t respond to Veronica’s question, Veronica had sent her the picture of Jughead and a girl she had never seen before kissing. She swallowed and looked at the picture again, examining it closely. Betty had to give Veronica credit for such a clear photo, her stalking skills knew no bounds. Betty felt jealousy, green and thick, swell up in her chest. The girl had pulled Jughead by his shirt and Jughead’s face honestly looked like he was surprised and his hands had been nowhere near the girl’s body. Every time Jughead had kissed Betty, he always grabbed her face, his long dexterous fingers always reaching the back of her neck so he could hold her face in place. Betty flushed at the thought but feeling a little smug, smirked to herself.

 

Also, how could Jughead have lied about having a girlfriend all this time? Even though Jughead had quite the reputation on campus for sleeping around, she felt like she knew Jughead enough to know he wasn’t that kind of guy. Betty decided that whoever the girl was last night, she wasn’t Jughead’s girlfriend, which made her feel a little bit better about herself. Last night when Veronica had called her, Betty didn’t run back to the apartment because she was angry or upset with Jughead. In truth, Betty knew what she was getting herself into from the get-go so how could she be upset with Jughead kissing someone else? When Veronica had first called her, Betty had been disgusted with herself. She thought she had helped Jughead cheat on his girlfriend and felt ashamed. Betty knew that ultimately it wasn’t her fault, there was no way she could’ve know Jughead had a girlfriend but even that logic didn’t change the disgusted way she felt about herself.

 

However, Betty’s new elation didn’t change the way she felt about Jughead kissing other girls. She and Jughead had never discussed what they were, other than friends, so in Betty’s mind she knew that technically Jughead could go around and kiss whoever he wanted. She didn’t have a right to be upset about it. Jughead wasn’t her boyfriend but despite that painful truth, Betty couldn’t help but be upset. So, she decided right then and there that although she didn’t want to end her friendship with Jughead, she probably shouldn’t kiss him anymore. Or cuddle. Betty shook her head at herself, if she was going to have any chance, she knew that she and Jughead probably shouldn’t touch at all.

 

Betty picked up her phone from where she placed it on the desk and unlocked it. She knew that she was going to have to talk to Jughead about what she saw, explain how she felt and hope he still wanted to be friends with her. Betty could handle Jughead not sharing the same feelings for her but she could not give up seeing him altogether. Anxiety gripped her chest like a vice just at the thought. Betty’s thumbs danced over the screen as she debated how to phrase her text message.

 

Before she even had words formed on the screen, her bedroom door swung open. Betty looked up to see Cheryl leaning against the door frame. She was already dressed and ready for the day, which Betty found odd for a Saturday morning. Normally her roommates stayed in bed late, much like she had done that morning.

 

“Hey Cheryl, what’s up?” Betty asked.

 

“I heard you got burned by one Jughead Jones, I was just coming to check on you.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “I’m fine Cheryl, Jughead wasn’t my boyfriend. I just didn’t think I could look his girlfriend in the eye after what we did…”

 

Cheryl walked into the room and sat on the end of Betty’s bed.

 

“For what it’s worth Betty, I don’t think that chick was his girlfriend.” Cheryl said.

 

“You don’t think so?” Betty asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

 

“Yeah, plus she spent the rest of the night flirting with Jughead’s tall friend… oh what’s his name… Sweetie Pie… Sweet Pony…”

 

“Sweet Pea?” Betty said laughing.

 

“Yes! That’s the one. Anyway, he didn’t look interested at all, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

 

Betty nodded but didn’t respond beyond that. Cheryl gave her an empathetic look and then put her hand softly over Betty’s.

 

“Betty, listen, I know people have been telling you to stay away from Jughead and he’s bad news and blah, blah, blah. But if he makes you happy, then that’s all that should matter. It’s so easy for people on the outside looking in to pass judgement off the first thing they see.” Cheryl drawled, her eyes rolling. “Just… make sure you accept the love you deserve as opposed to what you _think_ you deserve.”

 

Betty gave Cheryl a wry smile, recognizing the quote from _the Perks of Being a Wallflower_.

“I’m glad I recommended that book to you,” Betty said, giving her friend a soft smile. “Or else you wouldn’t be here giving me this fabulous advice.”

 

Cheryl beamed at her, tossing one side of her hair over her shoulder.

 

“That’s what I’m here for, of course.” Cheryl replied nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders.

 

The two girls giggled and Betty leaned over to pull Cheryl in for a hug.

 

“Seriously Cher, thank you.”

 

The two girls smiled at each other as a comfortable silence fell between them. After a beat, Cheryl said, “Oh that reminds me! We’re going clubbing tonight!”

 

Betty gave Cheryl an incredulous look, “Wait- what? How did you just remember that?”

 

Cheryl shrugged, “I guess my fabulous advice was on my mind first and I forgot the other part.”

 

“I don’t know if I want to Cheryl. I’m not exactly the clubbing type.” Betty said wearily. She had only gone clubbing two times during her college experience. The clubs had been hot and sweaty with bodies pressed together so tight she could barely breathe.

 

“Nonsense! We’ll have our own booth it’ll be fine. Besides JJ’s visiting tonight.”

 

Betty tilted her head slightly, “Jason is coming?”

 

“Is that alright with you Cooper?” A familiar voice called from the door.

 

Betty’s eyes snapped up to see Cheryl’s twin brother, Jason standing in her doorway. Cheryl jumped up from the bed and threw her arms around Jason’s neck. Jason laughed as he caught his sister and wrapped her up in a big hug, lifting her off the floor. Betty smiled at the pair, envying the connection the twins shared. The thoughts of her own brother seeping into her mind, making her fingers subconsciously curl inward.

 

***

 

Jughead sat in Joaquin’s kitchen at the table with a steaming hot cup of coffee in his hands. He gripped the warm ceramic mug in his hands reflexively, waiting for the warmth to seep into his bones. Jughead had called up Joaquin about an hour earlier saying that he wanted to make amends with his friend. Luckily Joaquin was more than happy to have him over, although he did warn Jughead that Kevin was still at his apartment from the night before. That didn’t bother Jughead, he wanted answers about what Kevin had said last night anyway, so why not get it straight from the source, he thought.

 

Joaquin crossed the kitchen and sat down across from Jughead, his own mug of coffee in his hands.

 

“Alright, now that we both have caffeine in our hands, I feel like we can safely have this conversation.” Joaquin said with a wink.

 

Jughead rolled his eyes affectionately at his friend. Joaquin knew him so well because the two of them were very similar. Not a lot could happen for them in the early hours of the morning without coffee, this included but was not limited to, conversation. He looked at Joaquin’s bright light blue eyes and then sighed. Jughead knew all too well that he was not good with sharing his feelings but Joaquin was his closest friend and therefore, he felt like he owed him more than that.

 

Jughead cleared his throat, “Why were you so mad at me last night?” Jughead asked softly, not looking Joaquin in the eye.

 

Joaquin took a sip of his coffee, swallowing loudly and before Jughead could question whether or not Joaquin was being intentionally dramatic, he finally spoke.

 

“I wasn’t mad at you Jughead, I was more disappointed.” Joaquin said as he looked out the kitchen window.

 

Jughead looked up at him now, “Disappointed? Why?” he asked, clearly confused.  

 

It was Joaquin’s turn to roll his eyes before he snapped his eyes to Jughead’s, “Seriously?”

 

“Yes, seriously!” Jughead said exasperated.

 

“Jug- I thought you had something good going with that Cooper girl. I’ve never seen you happier and she is really good for you. I just don’t understand why you sabotage yourself all the time. It’s like you’re determined not to have anything good happen to you for the rest of your life.”

 

Jughead squinted at his friend, searching his eyes as if Joaquin’s pensive gaze would give him more insight as to what he was getting at. Jughead searched through his mind for anything that happened in the last few days that would indicated that what Joaquin was saying was true. Then it hit him.

 

“Is this about Toni?” Jughead asked incredulously.

 

“Of course it’s about Toni!” Joaquin replied. It was clear to Jughead that Joaquin was annoyed at him.

 

“Toni’s just a friend Joaquin. We have a lot of history but that’s it. I do not have feelings for her anymore.”

 

Joaquin snorted, “You could’ve fooled me.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Jughead asked, his own annoyance starting to seep into his tone.

 

Joaquin raised his eyebrows at Jughead in disbelief, “Seriously Jughead, don’t be so obtuse.”

 

Jughead stared at his friend for a long moment, his mouth agape. Joaquin didn’t say anything else and Jughead groaned and rubbed his face with his hands forcefully.

 

“Are you saying you saw us kiss last night?” Jughead finally asked wearily.

 

“Yes! Me and the entire bar for that matter. Including Betty’s best friend Veronica.”

 

Jughead groaned, he definitely knew that Betty was ignoring his messages on purpose now. Veronica must have said something to her.

 

“Wait- you were mad at me before we went to the bar. Explain that to me.” Jughead demanded.

 

“Oh, please. When Sweet Pea and I busted into your apartment you and Toni sprang apart like two teenagers that had been caught by their parents.”

 

Their argument was momentarily paused by the sound of Kevin getting up and going to the bathroom. Jughead sighed, he genuinely didn’t know that Betty knew about Toni and the kiss they had shared last night. Well, technically Toni kissed him and he pushed her away but he knew at this point that that probably didn’t matter to Betty and her friends.

 

“Babe?” Kevin called groggily from the bedroom, “Do you have any Advil? My head is pounding.”

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at his friend and mouthed ‘ _Babe?’_ at him before giving him a knowing smirk.

 

“Yeah, I’m out in the kitchen. Jughead is here.” Joaquin called across the apartment.

 

There was a pause and Jughead wondered if Kevin was in the middle of deciding what to do. Jughead shifted uneasily, “I can leave.”

 

Joaquin shook his head at Jughead before getting up from the table and pulling some Advil out of the kitchen cabinet. He grabbed a fresh mug and poured some coffee into it, preparing for Kevin’s entrance.

 

Sure enough, Kevin walked into the kitchen seconds later. His hair was a mess, sticking out in all different directions and he was dressed in faded grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Jughead was slightly amused at Kevin’s disheveled appearance considering he had never really seen Kevin Keller in anything but polos and pressed Khaki pants.

 

Before Kevin could glare at him and convey any bit of the fury behind his eyes, Joaquin pressed the fresh cup of coffee into his hands and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. When Kevin pulled away from him, he smiled, blushing slightly from the intimate morning exchange.Jughead watched and wondered if Kevin had ever dated someone that fully understood his worth. He knew from his experience with Joaquin, that although his friend had dated a lot over the last few years, and was not ashamed of his sexuality in the slightest, there simply weren’t a lot of people who stuck. Joaquin would confide in Jughead about how he just wished there was someone out there that he could get serious with. They didn’t have to be his soulmate, but he was tired of giving so many men a chance when in the end, it led him to nothing more than a few dates and the occasional heartbreak.

 

At first, Joaquin wouldn’t share anything with him about the guys he brought home from the bar. That never stopped Jughead from asking though. He suspected that Joaquin didn’t have a lot of guy friends in his life that were 100% comfortable with his sexuality. One afternoon, Jughead and Joaquin were heading down the street to get coffee. Jughead had stopped his friend by grabbing on to his shoulder.

 

_“Look dude, I never want to force you to discuss your dating life with me- if you don’t want to kiss and tell...” Jughead held up his hands in a defensive motion, “Totally fine. But I want you to know that you being a gay man doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I am more than confident enough in my masculinity and you’re like a brother to me. So if you do want to talk about it, please do. I promise it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable.”_

 

Jughead will never forget the smile Joaquin had given him afterwards, almost as if Jughead was one of the first people in Joaquin’s life to see him as a person first and not just someone society simply labeled gay.

 

Jughead looked away from their intimate exchange and sipped on his coffee. Both Joaquin and Kevin sat down at the kitchen table. Kevin took a sip of his own coffee and then hummed in approval.

 

“How does your coffee always taste so good?” Kevin mused.

 

“Jughead was actually the one who taught me how to brew a good cup of coffee.” Joaquin said, clearing his throat.

 

“It’s the cups of water to scoops of coffee grinds ratio. I used to work a diner and people would come from all over just for the coffee.”

 

Kevin nodded but didn’t respond to Jughead’s statement about the coffee. Jughead looked at Joaquin and shrugged before leaning back in his chair.

 

“We were just talking about Betty actually,” Joaquin started to say, “Maybe you could provide some insight into what happened last night?”

 

“Look Kevin, I don’t know what you saw or what someone told you they saw but that girl last night - she wasn’t my girlfriend. I know you know about this kiss but it didn’t mean anything to me.” Jughead said, trying to convince Kevin, knowing full well everything that he said the rest of the morning was going to be repeated to Betty.

 

“So who was she?” Kevin asked skeptically.

 

Jughead sighed, “Her name is Toni. We dated for a while back in high school but I broke things off with her after my dad went to prison.”

 

Both Kevin and Joaquin looked at him surprised, Joaquin because he knew Jughead didn’t share that information willingly and Kevin because well, he was probably just surprised, much like everyone always was when they found out Jughead’s dad was incarcerated.

 

“Even though we broke things off a while ago,” Jughead continued, “I always knew she still had feelings for me. But I just avoided that conversation like a coward and it blew up in my face last night when she kissed me. I’m not going to lie, I was shocked and it took me a second too long to push her away but I did. I told her that I couldn’t return the way she felt because I have feelings for someone else.”

 

That got Kevin’s attention, he scooched his chair closer to Jughead’s, the chair scraping loudly on the linoleum floor.

 

“You do?” Kevin questioned.

 

Jughead paused looking from Kevin to Joaquin and then back to Kevin again. If Betty was upset with him, he knew Kevin would be his one way ticket to getting her to talk to him again.

 

“Yeah, I’m falling hard for your friend Betty.” Jughead admitted quietly.

 

Joaquin smirked at him as Kevin squealed with delight and clapped his hands together.

 

“I knew it! Oh my god, she is going to be so excited!” Kevin exclaimed.

 

Jughead’s heart skipped a beat, his confidence faltering slightly “You think so?”  

 

“Absolutely! Geez the way she has been defending you to her other friends the last few weeks- Betty Cooper thinks you’ve hung the moon in her dark and drab sky.” Kevin said.

 

Jughead blushed at the sentiment.

 

“Ok- so can you please explain to me what happened last night and what you or Veronica told Betty?” Jughead pleaded.

 

Kevin sighed, recalling the events of the night before. It started with Joaquin texting Kevin to not bring Betty to the bar, then with Betty getting a picture text from Veronica of Jughead kissing Toni and it ended with Betty running away from the bar. Jughead’s heart twisted as he listened, he hated the thought that he had hurt her and wanted to talk to her as soon as possible.

 

“Alright Kevin listen, you and Joaquin have so kindly pointed out to me that I messed up but what I really need help with is getting a second chance with Betty.” Jughead said, not caring that he was basically begging.

 

Kevin and Joaquin looked at each other and smiled. Kevin turned back to look at Jughead and there was a mischievous look on his face.

 

Rubbing his hands together he said, “Don’t worry Jughead, I have the perfect idea in mind.”

  
  


***

 

Betty stood in front of Cheryl’s vanity mirror in her bedroom. Cheryl had insisted that she let her do her hair and makeup. After all, they were going clubbing and Betty needed to look like a ‘total smokeshow’ (Cheryl’s words, not hers). Betty had initially resisted, but after some playful teasing from Kevin, who had come over an hour before, she eventually gave in to her friends (well intended) demands.

 

Betty looked at her reflection in the mirror as she twisted the tips of her hair in her fingertips mindlessly. Cheryl had curled her hair in tight ringlets and then gently combed them out so that Betty’s hair had large soft waves in it as well as some volume too. Cheryl had also kept Betty’s makeup light with a simple black line of eyeliner on her top lid and a few heavy layers of mascara. The one thing that was out of character for Betty was the shade of liquid lipstick. It was a dark reddish purple color and surprisingly, it made Betty’s eye makeup pop. Cheryl wanted to put her signature bright red lipstick on Betty, but it reminded her too much of the way blood stained on an old white rag. So they settled on a more dark purple red color with dark purple hues in it.

 

Betty had chosen her own outfit and she was pretty proud of it since Kevin gave it his immediate stamp of approval. She selected a long sleeve black crop top, with a sinfully short jean skirt that was fraying on the ends and black knee high boots. Black wasn’t really her color but it always gave her a new air of confidence, like wearing the color automatically made her feel like more of a badass. Betty checked herself out in Cheryl’s full length mirror one more time, twisting around to look at her backside. When she turned back, she caught Jason staring at her from Cheryl’s bedroom doorway. She jumped slightly before turning to face him.

 

“Oh Jason you scared me, I didn’t see you standing there.” Betty said, a little breathless.

 

“Looking good Cooper.” Jason said smirking, stepping out of her way as Betty walked out of Cheryl’s bedroom.

Betty blushed, “Thanks Jason.”

 

There was a time that Betty had a huge crush on Cheryl’s brother Jason, but over time she never could actually see them being together. It was always just a silly school girl crush that she would never act on. Plus, now that she was hopelessly falling for Jughead, Jason Blossom wasn’t even a blip on her radar.

 

Betty pushed the thought of Jughead out of her mind. She hadn’t gotten the chance to text him to set up a time for them to sit down and talk about what she had seen. She was starting to feel a little guilty about it but she would text him tomorrow and hopefully they’d be able to talk everything out.

 

“Betty let’s go!” Cheryl whined from the front room.

 

Betty threw her phone, ID and cash in her wristlet and then ran out her room to follow her friends into to the uber taking them to the club.

 

***

 

Betty was in the middle of the dance floor with Kevin, Cheryl and Jason. There was a hypnotic beat blasting out of the speakers to the point where Betty could feel the bass vibrate straight through her chest. She didn’t care, she danced along to the music, moving her body around freely. After all the stress of the week, the physical exercise that dancing brought her had felt really good which made her enjoy it even more. Plus, watching Kevin dance in step with her at times and yelling ‘ _Yasss Queen’_ made her throw her head back and laugh every time. Betty could easily admit that she was enjoying herself.

 

There had been plenty of guys throughout the evening that tried to work their way up behind her but Betty had made Kevin promise that he wouldn’t let any guy get their paws on her. She just wanted to enjoy herself tonight and besides, her affection belonged to a man that would probably never be caught dead in a club like this.

 

As if on cue, Betty spun her body around the corner of her eye catching something that looked oddly familiar to her. She turned back and looked up to the second floor balcony that was normally roped off for VIPs, she scanned the balcony looking for what had initially caught her eye until she found it. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that what caught her eye wasn’t a thing but a person. Jughead was leaning on the railing, his foot propped up on one of the rungs and his signature smirk plastered across his face.

 

_Holy shit._

 

When Jughead had originally devised that evening’s plan with Kevin and Joaquin, he had been extremely nervous. Kevin had convinced him that the best way to win a moment with Betty was to surprise her at the club they were all going to that night. Jughead had never been the type to go a college party let alone a night club and although anxiety had been rushing through his veins, he could not pass up an opportunity to see Betty.

 

Jughead entered the club about 20 minutes prior to meet up with Joaquin, who got his bouncer friend to let Jughead into the VIP section of the club on the second floor. All the nerves and anxiety that he had felt leading up to the night faded away the second he and Betty locked eyes from across the club. Jughead felt his heart almost stop once Betty’s initial shock had worn off and a sexy smirk appeared on her face. Jughead couldn’t get over how hot Betty looked down on the dancefloor. He already thought she was beautiful and sexy but watching her body move effortlessly, carefree on the dancefloor to the beat of the music in an impossibly short skirt made the blood heat under his skin.

 

Jughead had been watching Betty for roughly 5 minutes before she noticed him staring at her. In that time frame alone, 3 guys had tried to come up behind Betty and dance with her. Each time, Betty politely declined and then Kevin would pull her in a different direction.

 

Jughead felt a surge of jealousy before it slowly faded away each time Betty turned them down. He knew he was basically acting like a caveman but there was only one thing that went through his mind when he saw any other guy come up to her.

 

_Mine._

 

Jughead stayed up in the balcony for a few more minutes continuing to watch Betty dance. She was moving her hips more seductively than she had been a few songs prior and Jughead was convinced she was trying to get his attention. It definitely worked. Jughead left the second floor and headed down to the dancefloor.

 

Betty continued to dance a little more provocatively than she had been earlier in the evening. The second she saw Jughead staring at her, she was overcome with a desire to put on a show for him. Betty knew it was probably stupid but for some unknown reason Jughead made her feel seductive and sexy. Despite her earlier reservations, Betty couldn’t deny anymore how attracted she was to him. Betty had waited a song and a half before looking back up at the balcony, she was immediately disappointed to see that Jughead was no longer there.

 

Noticing her change in body language, Kevin leaned forward and yelled in her ear, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I could’ve sworn I just saw Jughead up there.” Betty yelled back pointing up at the now empty balcony.

 

Kevin raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. Betty felt like her friend didn’t believe her and now was judging her for seeing someone that wasn’t there. Betty rolled her eyes in response and then started to dance again. Kevin stopped her and pointed over her shoulder to something behind her. Betty looked at Kevin confused and mouthed ‘ _What?’_ Kevin smiled at her and again pointed at something behind her. Betty turned around and felt all the hairs on her body stand to attention.

 

Jughead was standing behind her and Betty couldn’t help but smile at him like a complete idiot.

 

Jughead knew right then and there that he was never going to find something to compare to the way Betty was looking at him in that moment and the way that it made him feel. When he was younger and his Mom left, there was a part of his soul that was devoid of light. Reflecting on it over the last few years, Jughead assumed that this part of the soul would grow dark for any child who had been abandoned by one of their parents. It’s the part where one would feel loved unconditionally and feel _worthy_ of it. The way Betty Cooper was looking at him in those few seconds woke up this part of his soul; the one that had been in hibernation for the better part of the last 10 years of his life.

 

Since his Mom left, Jughead had been walking around aimlessly, silently begging for someone to come along and throw him a lifeline, to save him from that eternal darkness that had knocked on his door all those years ago. Jughead realized in that moment, that ever since he started spending time with Betty, little by little she had been rescuing him from the darkness and guiding warmth and light back into his life.

 

Betty was breathless from the way Jughead was looking at her. It wasn’t that he was just happy to see her, no, there was something more intense twinkling behind his eyes. Betty swallowed instinctively, as Jughead started closing the gap between them. Years from now, Betty knew that if someone asked her what song had been playing in that current moment, she would never be able to tell them. She didn’t hear the blasting music coming out of the speakers above her, she didn’t even see the people dancing around her. She just saw Jughead and felt that indescribable magnetic pull between them as he continued to walk towards her.

 

Jughead stopped just before her, leaving less than an inch between them. Betty looked up at Jughead expectantly, waiting for him to make a move. After what had happened last night, Betty couldn’t bring herself to make the first move. It wasn’t about the fact that she was proud; in fact, around Jughead her stubborn pride, that normally set her apart from her peers, ceased to exist. It was the fact that she had to know if Jughead _wanted_ her. She couldn’t put herself out there again if all Jughead wanted was to be friends.

 

Jughead looked down at Betty for a long moment, drinking her in before he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

 

“You want to give your friends something to talk about?” Jughead said smugly.

 

Betty giggled. This was a running joke between them ever since Betty told him that her friends had been giving her grief about spending time with him. Before thinking twice, Betty nodded wordlessly in agreement. She could feel her friends eyes on her as Jughead leaned down and planted a soft kiss right on her lips. Betty felt her blood heat under her skin from the contact before Jughead laced his fingers into hers and practically dragged her off the dancefloor.

 

Jughead led Betty towards the back of the bar until he found an empty hallway. He made a quick turn down the hallway, practically sprinting to the end where one of the  lights was out. Betty never let go of his hand, a carnal, yet childlike excitement making her chest flutter. Jughead stopped short surprising her and he turned quickly, tugging her body in front of his and then pinning Betty against the wall. Betty laughed breathlessly as she cupped Jughead’s face and brought her face up to his. Jughead couldn’t help to pure surge of happiness that lodged itself in his chest and he couldn’t help but smile right before his mouth connected to hers. Their first couple of kisses were soft and slow, their tongues exploring each other languidly like it was for the first time all over again. They pulled away slightly and Jughead rested his head on Betty’s forehead as he took a deep steadying breath. Betty Cooper was intoxicating and Jughead wasn’t sure if he’d ever get enough.

 

“I missed you,” he said, his voice a little shaky.

 

Betty’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “You just saw me two days ago,” she teased.

 

“That’s too long,” he whined as he dropped his hands from their place on the wall down to Betty’s hips.

 

Betty’s eyes involuntarily closed as she drew in a shaky breath from the spark of kinetic energy between his thumb and her porcelain skin.

 

Betty felt like she might explode from the way her body was responding to Jughead’s. She shifted slightly from one foot to another trying relieve the pressure between her legs. Betty looked up into Jughead’s eyes, the way he was looking at her took her breath away. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how someone who was kissing another girl yesterday could look at her this way. She had spent the majority of the morning feeling guilty and swearing to herself that she wouldn’t touch Jughead again. Now, here she was in a dark hallway with him as he rubbed small circles into her exposed skin. Jughead Jones was like an addiction she never wanted to quit. She completely lost all her senses when she was with him, especially when they were together like this.

 

Jughead ran his nose along hers breathing her in and completely wiping Betty’s train of thought straight from her mind.

 

_Screw it,_ she thought as she lifted her chin and threaded her fingers through Jughead’s wavy hair and forcefully pulled his mouth to hers. Jughead felt the room spin slightly from the shock of Betty taking control and being so rough with him. They kissed languidly as their tongues explored their mouth and their fingertips explored each other’s bodies. Jughead briefly wondered if they should go back to his apartment but then realized he couldn’t wait that long. His fingers were itching to feel Betty’s soft skin under the cup of his hand. He broke away suddenly and quickly looked up and down the hallway before spotting a door that said, “Maintenance Only”. He eagerly grabbed her hand and walked her towards the maintenance closet praying that it was big enough for the two of them. Jughead tested the door knob and immediately opened it and pulled Betty in with him without giving it another thought.

 

Betty’s heart was pounding in her chest as Jughead locked the door from the inside behind them. There was a soft glow from an old lamp that hung from the middle of the ceiling giving them just enough light to make out their features. They were both breathing heavily from their tryst in the hallway. Jughead couldn’t think of a sexier look for Betty, her lips swollen, a purple bruise forming lightly on her neck, and her hair messed up from his fingers tugging. She was insatiable and a feeling of primal need took over his body.

 

Without warning, Jughead closed the few steps between them. Betty brought her hands up to cup Jughead’s face but was deliciously caught off guard when he grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head with one of his hands. Their bodies slammed noisily into the shelf behind Betty and she was suddenly grateful for the bumping rhythm that was still playing out on the dancefloor.

 

Jughead began to work his way across Betty’s jaw and down her neck to her collarbone, lightly nipping and sucking as he went. Betty let out a stuttered gasp from the shrill feeling she got from the way Jughead’s tongue felt on her skin. Jughead released Betty’s hands and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it up over her head before he grabbed her face again and continued to kiss her. Betty felt like her skin was set aflame from Jughead’s touch, it was more than enough to make her lose her mind. She needed to feel her skin on his, she knew where she wanted to take this. Betty felt her heart skip a beat, she knew she’d never forgive herself if she slept with Jughead before telling him the truth about how she felt.

 

“Wait, wait, wait, I need to tell you something,” Betty said breathlessly as she pulled away from him.

 

Jughead froze, immediately thinking the worst, “W-what is it? Are we going too fast?”

 

“No,” Betty said smiling up at him as she placed her hands on his chest. “No, it’s just… I need you to know that I like you Jughead.”

 

Jughead gave her a lopsided grin, “I like you too Betty,” he said teasingly, completely unable to resist.

 

Betty laughed a little despite herself, “No like I have feelings for you Jughead, I’m-” she paused, worried that she was about to ruin their moment.

 

Jughead pressed his body flush against hers as he looked down into her captivating green eyes.

 

“You’re what?” Jughead asked as he began to kissing Betty’s neck again.

 

Betty let out a breathy exhale, “I’m falling for you…”

 

Jughead paused for a moment and then looked Betty in the eye, he could tell from her racing heartbeat how nervous she was. It probably matched his own. There had been a few girl in his life who had confessed their feelings for him but none of them had been as important to him as Betty. He kissed her again, trying to pour all his feelings for her into his actions. This time their kisses were more eager, sloppy, and wet but he didn’t care. When they came up for air, Jughead pressed his forehead to Betty’s as he attempted to catch his breath.

 

“You’re mine.” Jughead whispered.

 

Hearing Jughead’s whispered claim over her ignited something in Betty as she pushed back against him until he crashed into the shelving behind him. Jughead gasped as Betty’s lips began to attack his neck. He eyed a workbench to the left of them and immediately picked Betty up and set her on top of it. Betty pulled Jughead’s shirt over his head, throwing it to the side as Jughead hiked up Betty’s skirt. Betty clumsily undid Jughead belt and jeans, her slightly shaking hands fumbling with the belt. Jughead pushed his pants down slightly before grabbing Betty’s hips and pulling her forcefully towards him, slamming into her. Betty let out a loud moan from Jughead’s sudden entrance into her slick heat. He paused for a moment, letting her get used to him filling her from this angle. He had no doubt that Betty had experience, but he could almost guarantee that no man had ever fucked her on a counter before. Jughead was brought out of sidetracked thoughts when Betty wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him impossibly closer and began rocking her hips into his. He grabbed her hips and steadied her briefly.

 

“God Betts, you’re going to make me embarrass myself like a teenage boy if you keep doing that.” Jughead growled.

 

“Then move, I want to feel you Juggie. All of you.” Betty whispered, almost whining.

 

Jughead groaned at her words and then began pounding into Betty at a fast, relentless pace. Betty’s vision almost went white from the feeling of pleasure that spread through her body as Jughead hit a spot inside of her she didn’t even know existed.

 

“O-oh god Jughead, that feels so good. Don’t stop.” Betty moaned.

 

“You’re mine,” Jughead growled through clenched teeth in Betty’s ear as he continued to fuck her into oblivion.

 

Betty felt herself start to climb at Jughead’s possessive words.

 

“You’re mine,” he said again, more dominant this time. “Say it,”

 

Betty felt like she could barely catch her breath, let alone get out a coherent set of words. Jughead pounded harder into her when he didn’t get a response. All he could hear was Betty’s erratic breathing as he felt her slick walls start to tighten around him.

 

“I said, say it baby-” he growled again.

 

“I’m yours-” Betty cried out before she tipped over the edge, her orgasm ripping straight through her body, sending waves of ecstasy through her bones out to her fingertips and toes.

 

Jughead followed right after her and pulled out just in time to grab a rag nearby. He rested his head in the crook of Betty’s neck as they both desperately tried to catch their breath.

 

After a few quiet moments, Jughead stepped away from Betty and picked her shirt up off the floor and handed it to her before he picked up his own. Betty pulled her shirt over her head and then hopped off the bench and fixed her skirt. Once their clothes were settled, Jughead leaned down and placed a soft kissed on Betty’s lips.

 

“You want to get out of here?” He asked.

 

“Sure.” Betty said, smiling up at him.

 

Jughead returned her smile and after he opened the door and made sure the coast was clear, he laced his fingers back into Betty’s and they left the club to head back to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!!! 
> 
> So despite all the drama with Toni, these two could barely stay away from each other. Do you think Betty made a mistake by going all the way with Jughead before talking it out? Or was his "you're mine" confession enough? Also, I am living from the bromance I'm developing between Jughead and Joaquin, anyone else feeling it? 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed it!!! I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments :)
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	6. The Collision of Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta @bugheadfanfiction awards for being amazing and looking this over for me :)
> 
> Warning: SMUT in this chapter.

**Chapter 6 - The Collision of Stars**

Betty opened her eyes and it took her a split second to remember where she was. She immediately relaxed and smiled when the rise and fall of the chest below her cheek reminded her. Betty blushed slightly when she realized that at some point in the night she had literally draped herself over Jughead’s body. Her head rested on his bare chest, one of her legs was over both of his, and her arm was across his stomach. He didn’t seem to mind though, one of his arms was securely wrapped around the small of her back. She chanced a peek at him and slowly looked up at Jughead’s face. Betty’s heart fluttered a little at the sight. Jughead looked so peaceful while he slept and she could not get over how attractive he was.

 

Betty also could not get over the fact that they had slept together last night, not just once at the club, but two more times after they got back to his apartment. Betty had hoped that they would spend some time talking last night once they had gotten back to his apartment, but as soon as they got through the door Jughead’s lips were on hers. 

 

When they were in the closet at the club, Betty had told Jughead that she was falling for him and all he said in response was, “You’re mine.” 

 

_ What does that even mean? _

 

The familiar feeling of her anxiety began to tighten in her chest, so she carefully moved Jughead’s arm and got out of bed. She quickly scanned the room for any of her clothes but when she remembered that they were discarded in the entryway in the midst of their makeout session, she grabbed Jughead’s cotton black t-shirts that was hanging over a chair. The fabric felt extremely soft on her skin as it fell mid-thigh. Betty brought the collar of the shirt above her nose and took a deep breath in and sighed contently. The shirt smelled exactly like Jughead. A combination of his Old Spice deodorant and an overuse of fabric softener. Forgoing her underwear, Betty grabbed her phone out of her purse and quietly tiptoed out to the front room. 

 

Betty looked at her phone and saw that she had a few texts and a missed call from Veronica, and one text from Kevin. 

 

**Veronica:** B where are you????  

 

**Veronica:** I can’t believe this, the one night I don’t go out and you go home with Jughead! 

 

**Veronica:** Call me. 

 

Betty rolled her eyes, she knew Veronica was just being protective, which she appreciated, but she wasn’t ready to talk to her yet. She went to the bathroom and went pee, feeling a slight sting between her thighs. Betty pressed her lips together, feeling herself blush from the physical reminder of the three rounds of sex she had with Jughead the night before. 

 

_ Well, _ she thought, _ at least I can say the rumors going around campus about that boy are true. _

Betty laughed softly to herself as she washed her hands. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she gasped at the sight of two dark hickeys on her neck. Lifting her hair back to one side and pulling his shirt collar down, she examined them more closely. She was definitely going to need to go home and get some concealer before she went anywhere in public. 

 

_ “You’re mine.”  _

 

Jughead said those words to her before he sucked the hickeys into her sensitive skin. She was still confused what that actually meant. He said that he liked her too, but never elaborated the way she did. Betty sat down on the edge of the tub and put her head in her hands as she sighed heavily. She didn’t regret having sex with Jughead, it had been absolutely mind blowing. Flashbacks of their various positions throughout the night ran through Betty’s mind; her on her knees, her leg draped over Jughead’s shoulder, their limbs tangling and the memory of everything else in between made her clench her thighs. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts. 

 

Even though she didn’t regret anything that happened between them last night, it didn’t change the fact that she knew she was going to be severely hurt if Jughead didn’t feel the same way about her. How could they go back to being just friends after last night? Would she even want to? The anxiety in her chest tightened a little more as it creeped upward towards her throat. Betty took a few deep breaths and counted down from ten, something her therapist a few years back had taught her as a coping mechanism. 

 

The whole point of the plan she concocted yesterday was so that she could stay friends with Jughead. When he showed up at the club last night, she had completely thrown that plan out the window. 

 

Betty was totally out of her element. Veronica had been right about her, she wasn’t the type to sleep with anyone with no commitment. For a girl like her, it was a recipe for disaster. She needed to talk to someone about it and fast. 

 

Betty unlocked her phone and scrolled through her contacts, Veronica would usually be the first person she called but Veronica hadn’t exactly kept it a secret that she didn’t like Jughead. It wasn’t likely that Veronica would give her the advice she was looking for so she dialed Cheryl’s number instead. 

 

_ “Hey Betty, what’s up?”  _

 

“Cheryl, I think I might have screwed up,” Betty said weakly, trying to keep her voice down so Jughead wouldn’t hear. 

 

_ “Betty don’t worry, they make Plan B for a reason. Just go down to the pharmacy and buy some, it’s the 21st century- no one will judge you.” Cheryl said nonchalantly.  _

 

Betty blanched, “What? No- that’s not what I’m calling about. I’m on the pill.” 

 

_ “Oh, then what are you calling about? And why are you whispering? Aren’t you at Jughead’s right now?”  _

 

“I am and I’m whispering because I’m in the bathroom and I don’t want him to hear me. I… I need your advice...” Betty confessed. 

 

_ “Did things not go well last night?” _ Cheryl asked, a small amount of concern laced in her voice. 

 

“No- no last night was incredible. Every rumor you’ve ever heard is true by the way.” 

 

_ “Noted. So what’s the problem?”  _

 

“The problem is, last night while we were hooking up at the club, I told him I was falling for him and all he said in response was, ‘You’re mine’.” 

 

_ “What does that even mean?” _ Cheryl asked. 

 

“Exactly! I don’t know what it means. I just know that I have romantic feelings for him and I don’t think I could go back to being just friends who sometimes have benefits after last night.” Betty dragged one hand over her face and groaned. “I think I screwed up and now I don’t know what to do- what would you do in my situation?” 

 

Cheryl scoffed,  _ “You realize I would be Jughead in this scenario, right? There’s no way I could be you.”  _

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “Fine! You’re Jughead, what should I do?” 

 

_ “Listen Betty, you know me, I’m a straight shooter and although you and everyone else cringe 90% of the time I open my mouth- I am always honest with people. That’s why you and I are friends because you are also honest to a fault. I would just tell him how you feel and see what he says.”  _

 

Betty gently rolled her lower lip between her teeth while she considered Cheryl’s advice. 

 

“Ok, ok, you’re right.” Betty said conceding. 

 

_ “Of course I am. Tell him if he wants to keep sleeping together that you want to be exclusive and see what he says. I think… I think he might surprise you.” _ Cheryl said, her voice softening at the end. 

 

“Thanks Cher, you’re the best.” Betty said. 

 

_ “You got this Betty! Let me know how it goes.” _ Cheryl said before she hung up.  

 

Betty looked at her screen and chuckled lightly at the fact that Cheryl hung up on her. Even over the phone, that girl knew how to make her entrances and exits. 

 

***

 

Jughead laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. He had woken up to the sun streaming in his window, his hand reached to the side, immediately searching for Betty only to be disappointed by the cool side of the mattress beneath his fingertips. When he had opened his eyes, he looked around the room is a sleepy haze and wondered where Betty was. The sound of her voice and his natural curiosity had gotten Jughead out of bed and walked out into the front room of his apartment. Betty was in the bathroom and it sounded like she was talking to  someone. Jughead knew he shouldn’t have eased dropped, but he tiptoed over and pressed his ear the door just in time to hear Betty say:  _ “Exactly! I don’t know what it means. I just know that I have romantic feelings for him and I don’t think I could go back to being just friends who sometimes have benefits after last night.” _

 

Jughead immediately turned on his heel and walked back the bedroom as a wave of guilt overwhelmed him. He flopped back on the bed and sighed, bringing both his hands up to cover his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he had confessed any type of feelings to a girl, romantic or not, and he winced slightly, realizing how primitive  _ “You’re mine.”  _ sounded. Of course Betty was freaking out on the phone with her friend , she had no clue how he felt about her yet. Dread filled his chest.Truthfully, he didn’t really know how to share his feelings. Jughead heard the bathroom door open and he shot up, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

 

Betty opened the bedroom door a moment later and Jughead couldn’t help but smile as soon as she walked into the room. Betty’s hair was sticking out in all different directions and it looked like she had washed off the makeup from the night before. He slowly dragged his eyes down her body and across her curves until they stopped at the hem of  _ his  _ shirt. He was in the middle of wondering if she had any underwear on when Betty cleared her throat to get his attention. 

 

“Good morning,” she said, her cheeks flushed crimson. Even though Jughead had seen her naked, she suddenly felt self-conscious under his heated gaze. 

 

Jughead got up off the bed and sauntered over to her. Betty felt her heart skip a few beats as he closed the distance between them. He was only wearing a pair of boxers and she took the second it took him to get to her as an opportunity to admire his bare chest. 

 

Jughead gently placed his hands on either side of Betty’s face, tilting her chin upward as he pressed his lips softly to hers. Betty melted into him, the two of them forgetting their worries from just moments ago. Jughead let out a sigh of relief before he pulled away and found Betty’s eyes still closed. 

 

“Good morning,” he said, smirking. He loved the effect he had on her. 

 

Betty’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, her heart hammering in her chest. Jughead’s curiosity got the better of him and he placed his hands on Betty’s thighs and slowly began to drag them upwards to the hem of his t-shirt she was wearing. The feather light feeling of Jughead’s fingers on Betty’s skin made her shiver slightly before heat exploded at the apex of her thighs. She held his gaze as his fingers reached her hips and then he gave her his classic boyish grin. 

 

“I knew it!” He said laughing, “You’re not wearing any underwear you naughty girl.” 

 

Betty giggled, “Sorry?” 

 

Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck causing her shirt to ride up. Jughead’s hands traveled from her hips to her backside. 

 

“Don’t apologize.” he said, giving her bare ass a gentle squeeze. 

 

Betty could feel Jughead’s erection pressing into her lower abdomen and she pressed up on her tippy toes to kiss him again. When she pulled away, she took great care to make sure her stomach slid over him, creating friction between the two of them. Jughead let out a shaky breath. 

 

“You don’t play fair do you Cooper?” 

 

Betty bit her bottom lip, “Oh you haven’t seen anything yet Jones.” 

 

Without warning, Jughead picked Betty up and he immediately laughed when Betty squealed, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. He turned and took the few steps to the bed before lowering them onto the mattress. Betty kept her legs wrapped around Jughead’s waist as he covered her mouth with his own. They kissed soft and slow until Betty started grinding her hips into Jughead’s and in a millisecond, it instantly became heated. Betty began to run her tongue along Jughead’s neck, determined to get him back for the two hickeys on her neck. He moved his hand up Betty’s stomach to her breasts, marveling at how silky smooth her skin felt under his fingers. He palmed her breast until he ran his fingers over her nipple and lightly teased her. Betty’s hips involuntarily bucked and Jughead smiled before taking her mouth again. 

 

Betty felt like her body was overheating, each point of contact between her and Jughead setting her skin ablaze. When he touched her like this, everything in her mind evaporated. There was no self-conscious thoughts or second guessing, it was just them and the connection they had. Or the connection she  _ thought  _ they had. 

 

Jughead felt Betty stiffen below him and he immediately stopped. He pushed up on his hands, ensuring his weight was off of her. They were both breathing hard. 

 

“Are you okay?” Jughead asked, concern etched in his voice. 

 

Betty looked in Jughead’s eyes for a moment before sighing and sitting up, lightly pushing him off of her. 

 

“No.” Betty said honestly. 

 

Jughead felt anxiety and worry course through his body as he sat down positioned himself on the edge of the bed next to Betty. He watched her for a moment as she trapped her bottom lip between teeth and stared down at her hands folded in her lap. 

 

“Betts, what’s wrong?” he asked gently. 

 

Betty turned to look at him, “What are we doing Jughead?” 

 

Jughead stared back at her for a long moment, he knew she was talking about what he overheard while she was in the bathroom. There was so much he wanted to say to her, he willed the words in his head to come out of his mouth, but for whatever reason, they didn’t come. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck, looking at the floor. 

 

Betty felt her heart twist painfully and the panic began to set in. This was it, he didn’t feel the same way about her. She felt tears begin to prick the backs of her eyes. 

 

“I should go,” Betty said as she got up from the bed. 

 

Jughead’s gaze snapped to her and he immediately reached out and captured her hand. 

 

“Betty wait-” he began to say.

 

“No Jug, there’s no point-” Betty cut him off as she attempted to pull her hand out of his. 

 

“I heard what you said in the bathroom!” Jughead blurted out. 

 

Betty turned to look at him, shocked. “What?” she whispered. 

 

“I heard what you said while you were in the bathroom. About how you have feelings for me and you can’t go back to being friends.” He said, gently pulling her to sit back down next to him. 

 

“Oh…” Betty said quietly. 

 

“And I… I… I want you to know that I can’t go back to being friends either.” Jughead stammered, “I… I don’t want to go back to being friends.” 

 

A small smile crept across Betty’s face as hope fluttered in her chest. “You don’t?” 

 

Jughead returned her smile and laced his fingers into hers. “No, I don’t” 

 

“Okay.” Betty said, unable to hide her smile. 

 

“Listen Betty, I haven’t had a girlfriend since high school so this is completely out of my comfort zone. Even then, I wasn’t 100% able to share my feelings with anyone so I’m just going to need you to give me a little time to adjust.” 

 

“Are you saying we can be exclusive?” Betty asked, making no attempt to hide how hopeful she sounded. 

 

“I’m saying I want you to be my girlfriend Betty Cooper.” 

 

“Really?” Betty asked again. 

 

“Yes, really.” Jughead breathed, captivated by the way she was looking at him. “If you’ll have me, of course.” 

 

Betty stood up in front of him and pushed Jughead back on the mattress as she brought her legs up to straddle him. 

 

“Oh, I’ll definitely have you,” Betty said seductively. 

 

Jughead chuckled and then inhaled quickly when Betty leaned down and sunk her teeth into his shoulder. He ran his hands up over Betty’s back, going under the t-shirt she was wearing. Betty paused, climbing off of Jughead pulling his boxers down his legs as she went. She took a step back and Jughead propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. 

 

“You look good in my shirt,” he said smugly. 

 

Betty smirked back at him, feeling a wave of confidence she’d never felt before come over her. Betty grabbed the hem of the t-shirt and slowly pulled it over her head, not breaking eye contact with him until the shirt covered her eyes. 

 

Jughead felt his erection growing impossibly harder as he watched Betty take off his shirt, she was absolutely insatiable and he couldn’t wait to bury himself in her. 

 

When she stepped back towards him, positioning herself between his legs, Jughead sat up 100% ready to cover her body with his but she stopped him by placing a hand firmly on his shoulder. Jughead ran his hands from behind Betty’s knees up to her hips. 

 

“I want to make you feel good,” he said gruffly. 

 

Betty gently took his face in her hands and kissed him hard, biting his lip before pulling away. It didn’t hurt, but it was painful enough to turn him on. Betty pushed Jughead back down on the mattress, pinning his hands above his head. 

 

“You did last night, three times.” Betty said, arching an eyebrow at him. 

 

Jughead inhaled sharply as Betty grinded her wet heat into his erection, effectively wiping his mind of all coherent thought. 

 

“So?” he managed to say. 

 

Betty leaned over him and bit his collarbone. She soothed the mark with her tongue and then dragged her tongue up his neck to his ear. 

 

“So, it’s my turn to make you feel good.” Betty said, her voice hot and breathy in his ear. 

 

Jughead had to admit, he had never had a girl take control the way Betty was taking control with him now. He was always the one to dominate in the bedroom because of the insane amount of pleasure he got from getting girls to scream his name through their orgasm. He knew if he asked a girl to be on top that they probably would, but some girls were self-conscious on top. So the fact that Betty, the girl who about a month ago he would’ve described as an annoying goody two shoes, was completely naked on top of him with his hands pinned on either side of his head, was an absolute turn on. He no longer wanted to protest and relaxed his arms. 

 

Betty felt a carnal excitement course through her when she felt Jughead relax. She released his arms and began kissing, biting and sucking her way down the length of his body. She got an extreme amount of satisfaction every time Jughead’s body jerked from her sensual assault on his skin. Once she got just below his belly button, she took his hard length in her hands and gently squeezed. Jughead moaned and he propped himself back up on his elbows just in time to see Betty run her tongue over the tip of his erection. 

 

“Jesus, Betty that feels amazing.” he breathed. 

 

“Good,” Betty said smiling at him before she took him fully into her mouth. 

 

Jughead moaned loudly, as Betty pumped her mouth quickly up and down. She slowed down, licking him from the base up as she swirled her tongue around his tip and then plunged him back into her mouth. Jughead fell back on the bed, he knew if he kept watching her he wasn’t going to last long at all. 

 

Betty took that as her opportunity to climb back up Jughead’s body and before he knew what she was doing, she sunk down on top of him. She gave her hips an experimental roll and they both moaned in unison. Jughead dug his fingers into Betty’s hips and he thrust his hips upward causing Betty to cry out as her eyes rolled back into her head. 

 

“Oh my God Juggie, do that again.” Betty breathed. 

 

He did, but this time didn’t stop. Betty gripped his forearms and met him thrust for thrust, already feeling herself on the brink of her climax. 

 

The vision off Betty on top of him, her head thrown back and breasts bouncing with each thrust was absolutely erotic and Jughead knew he wasn’t going to last more than another minute in their current state. He moved his thumb to her clit and began rubbing circles. With one more forceful roll of her hips, Betty tightened around him and they climaxed together. When Betty came down from her high she collapsed on top of him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. They were both sweaty, their skin sticking together as they attempted to catch their breath. 

 

“Wow,” Jughead said, running his hand up and down her back. 

 

Betty giggled, “It’s good to know all the rumors are true.” 

 

Jughead quirked an eyebrow, “What are you talking about.” 

 

“You know, the rumors about you being a sex god and all that.” 

 

Jughead laughed, “You’re serious?” 

 

“Yeah, haven’t you heard what girls say about you?” 

 

Jughead shook his head, “I can’t say I’ve heard that one before.” 

 

Betty shrugged before resting her head back on his chest. 

 

“Well, I can assure you that I’ve never had sex like that before. You were incredible, I’m surprised there are not more rumors about you going around out there.” Jughead joked. 

 

Betty flushed crimson, “Truthfully, I haven’t been with a guy in a really long time. I just feel this crazy connection to you, is that weird?” 

 

Jughead shook his head, wondering for the 100th time since their truth or dare date where Betty Cooper had been all his life. “No, not at all.”  _ I feel the same way.  _

 

***

 

Betty and Jughead walked down the street towards Betty’s apartment. Jughead’s arm hung loosely around Betty’s shoulders. They had stopped for coffee and opted to walk the rest of the way to Betty’s apartment since the sun was out that morning. Betty had her free hand laced with the one that was hanging off her shoulder. They had been walking in silence for about a block and Betty had been thinking when she should bring up Toni. They had had such an amazing morning and Betty really didn’t want to pop their blissful bubble, but she knew if she didn’t ask, she’d regret it. 

 

“So tell me about Toni,” Betty said, taking a sip of her coffee. 

 

“What do you want to know?” Jughead asked. 

 

“I’m just curious about your history and I guess I’m just trying to understand. I mean, two nights ago you were kissing her and now we’re together.” Betty said. 

 

Jughead took a deep breath in and exhaled, trying to decide where or how to start. He wasn’t ready to share everything about his past with her, not just yet. 

 

“I moved when I was a sophomore in high school and enrolled in a new school. Toni was my tour guide and we just clicked. We were together until just after I graduated from high school.”

 

“Why’d you break up?” Betty asked, genuinely curious. 

 

“I went through a lot as a teenager and even though Toni had been with me through a lot of it, I woke up one morning and decided I needed to face the darkness alone. I didn’t want to drag her down with me” Jughead said quietly. 

 

Betty looked up at Jughead and saw him furrowing his brows as if he was deep in thought. She could tell he was still keeping something from her like he was scared of showing his emotions. 

 

Completely forgetting about their conversation about Toni, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze before saying, “Do you still feel that way?” 

 

Jughead stared down into Betty’s vibrant green eyes, they were intense, like she was trying to peer into his soul. He swallowed, “Like I’m facing the darkness alone?” 

 

Betty nodded silently. 

 

“Yeah… I do.” Jughead said gruffly not meeting her eyes. 

 

Betty’s heart clenched at the look of desolation on Jughead’s face like he was desperately hoping in that moment that he wasn’t a hopelessly lost cause. He was her lost boy, her beautiful disaster and she wanted to know everything about him- even the scary parts. Betty stopped them on the sidewalk and turned to place her hand softly on his cheek as she leaned up on her tippy toes to place a tender kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, she kept her hand on Jughead’s cheek and he leaned into it. 

 

“I want to know who you are Jughead… all of it. I’m not afraid of the dark.” Betty whispered. 

 

“Are you sure about that Betts? It can get kind of scary,” He said deflecting, wanting to lighten the mood. 

 

“I’ll bring a flashlight,” Betty said as she smirked up at him. 

 

Jughead chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and began leading them down the street again. Betty wrapped her arm around his lower back as he pulled her close and kissed the side of her forehead. He appreciated that she didn’t push the subject with him, it was like she trusted him to tell her eventually. 

 

“You’re something else Cooper.” Jughead said shaking his head. 

 

Betty smiled, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. 

 

“So…” Betty hesitated, “There’s nothing going on between you and Toni that I need to worry about?” 

 

Jughead shook his head, “No, I told Toni that even though I cared about her, I had feelings for someone else.” 

 

“She must be amazing to tie down a womanizer like you,” Betty quipped. 

 

Jughead threw his head back and laughed, “Hey! I am not a womanizer!” he protested, tickling her side. 

 

Betty giggled, leaning into him.  

 

“What do you want to do today?” Betty asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

 

“Whatever involves spending time with you. You have today off right?” 

 

“Yeah I do, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a day off.” Betty said reflectively as she tried to remember the last time she had a full day off. 

 

“You work too much Betts.” Jughead said, pulling her close and kissing the side of her forehead again. 

 

Betty felt a warmth fill her chest, who knew Jughead Jones, the university’s resident bad boy could be so affectionate. 

 

When they reached the front steps of her apartment building Betty paused, suddenly remembering that she never answered Veronica’s text messages from earlier in the morning. 

 

“Shit,” Betty said under her breath. 

 

Jughead looked down at her questioningly, “What is it?” 

 

“Veronica.” Betty said wearily. 

 

Jughead felt annoyance flare in her chest remembering that Veronica had taken a picture of him kissing Toni the night before and sent it to Betty effectively stirring up drama between them. 

 

“What about her?” Jughead growled, clenching his jaw. 

 

Betty sighed, “She sent me a few text messages this morning and I forgot to answer. She’s probably going to lose her shit when I walk through the door.” 

 

Jughead shoved his hands in his pocket, a scowl crossing his features. Betty felt a wave of anxiety coursed through her as she watched Jughead’s body language change. 

 

“Maybe she won’t be home?” Betty suggested. 

 

“Yeah, hopefully.” Jughead replied. 

 

Betty sighed, she already missed the warm and affectionate Jughead that had his arm draped around her just moments before. Now she was dealing with the cold and stiff shell of him.

 

“Alright, let’s get this over with then.” Betty said as she walked up the steps, Jughead following closely behind her. 

 

Jughead followed Betty up the worn staircase, his anxiety and frustration rising with each step. Betty’s friends, with the exception of Kevin, had been giving her a hard time about being friends with him. He couldn’t imagine how that would escalate once her friends found out they were officially together. He knew he had a reputation, that wasn’t lost on him, but it always annoyed him when people only cared about the rumors that were attached to his name, never bothering to really get to know him. He figured that was why he had been so drawn to Betty in the first place. 

 

When they had classes together in the past, Jughead went out of his way to get a rise out of Betty. Whether it was playing devil’s advocate to her point or teasing her about being teacher’s pet. As they got up to Betty’s floor, Jughead realized that he had been a jerk to her in the past and despite all of that, she never had treated him with anything other than kindness. 

 

Betty took out her keys and unlocked the apartment door and walked through. Jughead followed her and closed the door behind them. 

 

“Hello?” Betty called after she hung up her keys on the hook by the door and took off her jacket. 

 

They both listened for a moment and after a few slow seconds, Betty let go of the breath she had no idea she’d been holding. The apartment was mercifully empty. Betty knew she’d have to face Veronica’s wrath eventually, but for now she was hoping she could shower and change and get back out of the apartment before anyone came home. 

 

Jughead looked around the spacious front room of Betty’s apartment. He had only dropped her off at the steps in front of the building, he had never come inside. On his right, there was a large grey “L” shaped couch with a large flat screen TV in front of it. There was a dining room to his left that connected a large kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances and a kitchen island. He couldn’t get over how nice the place looked; it was clear whoever had furnished this apartment had money and for the first time since he started seeing Betty, a pang of doubt echoed in his mind. 

 

Betty took his coat and hung it up in the front closet. 

 

“C’mon,” she said taking his hand, “You can wait in my bedroom while I shower.” 

 

Jughead let Betty lead him back to her bedroom. It was the last room at the end of the hall on the right and it was much smaller than the other bedrooms he passed along the hall. It felt even smaller with the furniture in it. Betty’s bedroom was exactly the way he had imagined it and yet different at the same time. She had a double bed that sat against the far wall, with tons of decorative pillows and a deep purple comforter. There was a desk next to the bed and a bookcase closer to the door with a mirror on top of it. Everything was neat and orderly with the exception of a few papers on her desk and laundry overflowing in the hamper. 

 

Once Betty left to go shower, he began to look around her room with a little more interest. He looked over the titles of the books on the bookcase, smiling to himself when he recognized a few titles that sat on his own bookcase. There was one title that stood out to him, “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. Jughead pinched the spine of the book and pulled it off the shelf, turning it over in his hands as he read the summary, idly wondering what Betty was doing reading a novel about a brutal murder in a small town. Dismissing the thought, Jughead put the book back in its place. Moving on, Jughead looked at the mirror and the pictures that were tucked into the frame. Jughead smiled as he looked over the pictures of Betty with her friends, Betty in an old cheerleading outfit, and Betty with who Jughead assumed was her family. Right away, he noticed that the brother she had mentioned in passing was not in the photo. Before he could wonder why a piece of paper in the bottom right corner of the mirror caught his attention. Carefully, he pulled it out of the frame to take a closer look. The paper looked like it was ripped out of a small notebook and had Betty’s all too perfect handwriting on it. 

 

_ You were an unexpected surprise, the  _

_ defining moment. The collision of stars _

_ that slammed into me hard and sent  _

_ my neat little world plummeting into  _

_ the ocean.  _

 

_ I never expected it to be you, you _

_ know? But it is you. It’s all you. And _

_ now there’s no looking back.  _

 

Jughead felt his breath catch in his throat as he read and reread the words. After the second time he read it over, his eyes fell on the last line of the poem, a collection of numbers. 

 

Jughead immediately realized that the numbers made a date and as he thought back to when that day was, it dawned on him that it was the date of the second time they saw each other in the coffee shop. 

 

Jughead felt his heart skip a beat, had Betty written this poem about him? Had she written it about them? 

 

Just then, Jughead heard the front door of the apartment open and close. 

 

“Betty? Are you home?” Veronica called from the front room. 

 

From the sound of heels clicking on the floor, Jughead knew Veronica was walking towards Betty’s bedroom. Not thinking, he shoved the piece of paper in his jeans pocket and braced himself to deal with Veronica. Jughead sat down at Betty’s desk and took out his cell phone and looked at it in an attempt to look otherwise occupied. 

 

“Betty?” Veronica called again. Judging by the increased volume, Jughead guessed she was almost to the bedroom door. 

 

“She’s in the shower,” Jughead responded just as Veronica entered the room. 

 

Veronica immediately glared at him, crossing her arms and cocking one eyebrow. 

 

“Well look who it is, the fuck boy himself.” Veronica said, pure hatred clear in her voice. 

 

Jughead felt anger bloom in his chest, “What exactly is your problem with me Veronica?” 

 

Veronica scoffed and rolled her eyes, “My problem? How about how you strung my best friend along and then kissed someone else!” 

 

Jughead jumped up from the chair he was sitting in, “I didn’t string her along Veronica,” he said, rolling his eyes, “It honestly baffles me sometimes how you all think Betty is weak and treat her with kid gloves. She deserves better than that.” 

 

“And what? You think that's you?” Veronica asked, laughing. 

 

Jughead gritted his teeth, his rage on the brink of taking control. 

 

Veronica stepped further into the room, “Let’s me make one thing clear Jughead, you can walk around and pass whatever judgment you want about all of us, but no matter what you think it won’t change the fact that you will never be good enough for her. I think we both know that.” 

 

Jughead clenched his fists as he glared at Veronica, he could feel his face start to flush from the pent-up anger he was feeling. Veronica smirked at him, clearly recognizing that she had hit a nerve. They both heard the shower turn off. 

 

“Toodles,” Veronica said, waggling her fingers at him as she walked out of the room. 

 

Once Veronica disappeared out of sight, Jughead sat on the edge of Betty’s bed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

 

“Fuck!” he cursed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> These two are finally exclusive! What do we think about the interaction between Veronica and Jughead at the end of the chapter? Do we think that's going to effect Betty and Jughead in the future? 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I look forward to reading your thoughts :)
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	7. Rough Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd for right now so forgive me if there are any errors!

**Chapter 7 - Rough Night**

 

Jughead laid on a creeper under a 2012 Jeep Wrangler, the car needed an oil change and as easy as it would have been to put the car on the lift, he preferred to do it this way. He knew it was old fashioned, but this position was much more comfortable for him. Usually, when he did work like this it was easy for him to zone out and only think about at the task at hand, but ever since he and Betty started seeing each other that had been nearly impossible. 

 

To some degree, it put him on edge. He had never felt this way about a girl before, to the point where he thought about her so much that it was bordering on obsessive. The thought of Betty filled every free moment he had; she was the first thing he thought about when he woke up and the last thing to cross his mind before he fell asleep. He thought about her gorgeous green eyes, how soft her hair felt when it was splayed out across his arm when they were cuddling, or how cute Betty was when she woke up in the morning. It was almost overwhelming, the intensity of what he felt for her in such a short amount of time.  

 

Their physical attraction was also just as intense if not more. It was like their bodies were so attuned to each other now that his body hummed in anticipation whenever they were close together. He also always had to be touching her. 

 

Jughead smirked at the thought, every time they were alone it was like his body realized it before his brain caught up. There was just something about the feeling of her skin under his fingertips that somehow both comforted him and drove him completely insane all at the same time. When they cuddled on the couch, he would always wrap his arm around Betty as she tucked herself into his side and then his hand would slide under her shirt. Or when she spent the night and they slept in a spooning position, he would slide his hand under her shirt and rest his hand on her stomach just to feel her skin beneath his touch. 

 

If it bothered Betty she didn’t say anything. Jughead almost always saw a small smile emerge on her face as soon as his fingers came into contact with her skin. He liked to think it was because the action brought her the same amount of comfort it did for him. 

 

The other thing that had persistently been on his mind was what Veronica said to him two weeks ago when he was over at Betty’s. It would creep into his mind at the most random times, and as much as he tried not to let it, the thought would effectively ruin his mood and he would shut down. Most of the time it wasn’t intentional, Betty would do something that made his heart skip a beat and before he could even consider how a girl like her would be interested in him, Veronica’s words would come back to him. Lashing at his confidence like a whip.

 

_ … no matter what you think it won’t change the fact that you will never be good enough for her.  _

 

Jughead could tell that Betty was getting frustrated by his hot and cold nature and every time she would ask him if something was up, he would just brush it off. It was a wonder Betty hadn’t kicked his ass to the curb by now, but no matter how much of a jerk he was to her she just kept coming back. She was so patient with him, sometimes giving him space and other times she would straddle his lap and tickle him until he kissed her senseless to make her stop. It always ended with them tangled in each other’s limbs and breathless. 

 

There was so much that he hadn’t told her yet that he wanted to but the risk of her leaving him when found out the truth about his dark past was too great. Jughead had warned her that there was a darkness in him that he couldn’t always ignore but it didn’t seem to phase her. He smiled, fondly remembering her comment that she’d bring a flashlight and shook his head. Betty Cooper was definitely more than he deserved. 

 

_ I never expected it to be you, you know? But it is you. It’s all you. And now there’s no looking back.  _

 

Betty’s poem was currently burning a hole in his pocket as Jughead recited the line in his head. He had carried it with him everywhere in his wallet since he took it off her mirror two weeks ago. He couldn’t get over how after just short two weeks her words felt true. There was no looking back and it made Jughead’s chest tighten when he thought about the fact that Betty had written those words on their second date. She had felt so deeply about him so quickly that it actually scared him sometimes. It wasn’t the fact that he didn’t feel the same way about her that scared him, it was the fact that he  _ did _ . She was everything and all consuming to the point that it was almost overwhelming. So when the voices in his head got too loud and he felt like he wasn’t worthy of her, he would take the poem out and read it. It was his constant reminder that she felt the same intense feelings for him that he did for her. 

 

Betty was currently working at the library but she planned to come over after her shift. She said she wanted to cook him dinner and watch a movie and Jughead wasn’t about to turn her down. He would’ve been happy ordering pizza and watching a movie or doing just about anything with her but the fact that she wanted to make him dinner made him feel special. Like when he was little and on Saturday mornings his Mom would make him chocolate chip pancakes while he watched cartoons. His mom would always drench them in syrup and draw a smiley face with whip cream on them. She’d bring them out and put them on the coffee table and kiss his forehead before going back to the kitchen. 

 

Jughead sighed, it had been awhile since he thought about his Mom. For a brief minute, he let himself wonder how she was, where she was living and what Jellybean was up to. Before he could force the thought out of his mind, he heard three sets of footsteps enter the garage. 

 

“I’ll be right with you.” he called out from underneath the Jeep. 

 

Whoever was in the garage didn’t answer but continued to walk closer to him. All the hairs on Jughead’s body stood to attention but before he could react, he felt a hand go around his ankle pulling him out from underneath the car. 

 

“What the hell?” he growled. 

 

Instead of getting an answer, a tire iron came down and struck him on the cheek. The pain traveled across the side of his face like a spider crack before his whole head was in excruciating pain. Jughead winced and covered his face with his arms preparing for another blow. 

 

“Hey junior,” a feminine voice said. 

 

Jughead’s body went cold when he realized who the voice belonged to. He cautiously uncovered his face and looked up. 

 

“Penny?” Jughead gasped. 

 

“Get him up,” Penny said, a wicked grin on her face. 

 

Two men Jughead didn’t recognize grabbed him by the arms and hauled him up, throwing him into a nearby chair. Jughead’s heart was beating wildly in his chest as he tried to figure out what the hell she was doing here. 

 

Penny Peabody was part of the Men of Hades, the same gang his Dad belonged to. She was used as an enforcer and over the years, Penny earned the nickname Cerberus. According to Greek mythology, Cerberus, often called the "hound of Hades", was the monstrous three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. It was extremely loyal to Hades and it was absolutely merciless, obliterating anyone or anything that got in its path by violently ripping it to shreds. Despite Penny always being compared to the hound from hell, Jughead thought of her more as a snake, cunning and manipulative. 

 

When his father went to jail, Penny was the one who came to collect the debt. Of course, since Jughead was fresh out of high school, he had no money. He didn’t know how he was going to keep the apartment they’d been living in, let alone pay back the large sum of money his father owed the gang. Luckily, he and Penny were able to strike a deal and he ended up working for her until his father’s debt was paid off. He did all kinds of jobs for her, run drugs, drive her around, or make miscellaneous deliveries. Then there were other jobs, jobs that were so brutal and violent that he would probably never speak of them again. 

 

Jughead looked up at Penny wearily, feeling a warm liquid he assumed was blood trickle down his face. 

 

“What are you doing here Penny?” Jughead growled.

 

“Rough night?” Penny said before chuckling, clearly she wanted to taunt him. 

 

Jughead rolled his eyes before returning them to glare at Penny. 

  
  
  


Penny laughed again, “Aww junior, you’re always so serious! I haven’t seen you in what? Over a year? The least you could do is ask how I’ve been since the last time we saw each other.” 

 

“You know I always cut straight to the business,” he growled. 

 

Penny chuckled, “That certainly is true.” 

 

He glared up at her, “Seriously, what do you want?” 

 

“I came here with news about your Dad.” she said, smirking. 

 

Jughead felt all the blood drain out of his face, as a sense of panic surged through his body. 

 

“What about my Dad?” 

 

***

 

Betty checked her watch impatiently, she had one more hour until her shift at the library was over and the minutes were ticking by at an impossibly slow pace. 

 

She sighed and then pulled up the recipe for the meal she planned to make Jughead tonight. She had gone shopping that morning and dropped everything off at Jughead’s before work. She was planning on making Italian mac and cheese with homemade garlic bread. She was also going to bake her famous chocolate chip cookies and she bought French vanilla ice cream to make it a la mode. Although Betty had baked for Jughead in the past, she had never  _ really  _ cooked for him. A small amount of childlike excitement bubbled up in her chest. She enjoyed cooking, especially for other people and she could not wait to cook for her boyfriend, who just so happened to like eating more than anyone she had ever met. 

 

She paused,  _ her boyfriend. _

 

Betty smiled like a loon at the thought. Even though they had been exclusive for two weeks now, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Jughead was her boyfriend. 

 

Jughead was a known fuck boy on campus, Betty had heard girls in her classes in the past discussing their one night stands with them. True to his fuck boy persona, he never slept with the same girl twice. She knew she was being paranoid but any time there was a girl blatantly staring, or rather  _ glaring _ at her, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jughead had slept with that girl too. It seemed like a few people couldn’t understand why Betty was hanging around Jughead, like she was pathetic or something. But they were merely blind to who he truly was. It was annoying to her because Betty felt like she was one of the few people who knew Jughead for who he truly was - or was getting to know him that way. 

 

Jughead had noticed it a few days ago while he was walking her to class. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her tightly to his side as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. Betty had been blushing profusely until a few girls passed them, staring at her and whispering to each other. 

 

_ “Everything ok Betts?” Jughead asked while looking over his shoulder at the girls who just passed.  _

 

_ “Yeah, everything is fine.” Betty said quietly.  _

 

_ Jughead stopped her on the sidewalk, “Betty…”  _

 

_ Betty blushed crimson under Jughead’s soft gaze. His head was cocked to one side and he gave her an adorable lopsided smile that made her insides turn to mush.  _

 

_ “It’s just… people talk… “ she managed to get out, turning away from him as she started to walk again.  _

 

_ “Ok….?” Jughead responded wearily.  _

 

_ Betty bit her lower lip, “I don’t care what they say, really I don’t, it’s just….”  _

 

_ “Betty, your rambling.” Jughead said chuckling a little, “Just spit it out.” _

 

_ Betty sighed and then stopped on the sidewalk again, “It’s just every time we pass a girl on the street that is looking at me funny, I can’t help but wonder is she’s someone you’ve slept with.”  _

 

_ Jughead’s face went from surprised to guilty as he scratched the back of his neck.  _

 

_ “Betty I…” he began to say. _

 

_ Betty grabbed his face and pulled him down for a bruising kiss that left them both breathless. She pulled away to look up at him and it took him a few seconds to open his eyes, like he was savoring the feeling of her lips on his.  _

 

_ When he finally opened them she said, “Like I said, I don’t care. I’m not jealous or anything, I just can’t help but wonder.”  _

 

_ He smirked at her, placing his arm back around her shoulders and leading them again towards her class.  _

 

_ “They’re just jealous of you Betts, like you said. After all, you tied me down.”  _

 

_ “Oh god, is that what you’re telling people?” Betty asked with faux horror.  _

 

_ “No, I’m telling people that the intelligent and gorgeous Betty Cooper is my girlfriend. I tell them that I’ll never understand how I got so lucky.” Jughead said as he tipped her chin up with his index finger. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and she melted into him, letting go of her own insecurities.  _

 

Betty’s phone began to vibrate in her pocket, effectively breaking her out of her thoughts. She pulled out her phone and looked at it, seeing her mother’s phone number flashing on her screen. 

 

Betty scoffed in disgust and then put the phone back in her pocket. Betty hadn’t talked to her mother since the day she returned to campus early from winter break. The memory of her mother’s stepford smile, offering her chocolate chip pancakes the morning after they rolled up the shady man’s body in a tarp and drove him out to the woods by Sweetwater River made her skin crawl. Even Chic was a complete mess, curled into the fetal position and crying on the floor had a fake, sticky sweet smile plastered on his face. That wasn’t the first time she had dug her fingernails into her palms. It was a bad habit she started in high school but she had gotten a hold on it during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school just before Veronica moved into town. 

 

She was also having night terrors, waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, her heartbeat racing so fast it hurt, and a deep rooted feeling of fear that gripped her chest like an animal trap. In her night terrors, the shady man is not dead and returns from the edge of Sweetwater River with the same lamp that Chic used to kill him. Betty tries to run and scream, but every time the shady man finds her in her dreams, she becomes paralyzed. Sometimes she’s lying in bed in her childhood bedroom and sometimes she’s out in the woods late at night. Either way, as soon as she spots him, her body freezes and there is nothing she can do about it. In each dream, the shady man gets closer to killing her but fortunately, Betty wakes up before he can each time. Her eyes will open and it will take a moment or two to remember where she is - whether it’s in her bed alone or in Jughead’s bed with him sleeping peacefully beside her. At this rate, Betty knew it was only a matter of time before she wakes up screaming in the middle of the night and has to come up with some kind of lie about what’s going on with her. 

 

Betty didn’t want to lie to Jughead, not now, not ever. But how could she possibly explain this to him? How could she explain how her love for her mentally abusive mother was so great that she helped her cover up a murder? 

 

Betty’s phone vibrated in her pocket again and she sighed in frustration. She took her phone out of her pocket again and saw a text message from her mother. Betty opened it, squinting at a picture her mother had sent her. From first glance, the small image on her screen looked like a TV, possibly the TV in the family room at her childhood home. Betty opened it to make the image larger so she could examine it more closely. She had been right, it was a picture of the TV in her home and it looked like the evening channel 4 news was on the screen with a caption running along the bottom. Betty’s free hand flew to her mouth as she read the caption. 

 

**Mysterious car found in Sweetwater River, search and rescue are currently pulling it out of the water.**

 

Betty felt all the blood drain out of her face as the room began to spin. 

 

_ The car.  _

 

She had almost forgotten about the car and what she had done to get rid of it. 

 

_ It was the night after the murder, the shady man’s body was probably barely cold in the tarp they left him in. Betty had been pacing back and forth in her room, she was having a full blown anxiety attack and she felt like the walls were caving in. She had spent the majority of the day in her room, it felt safe there, every little thing on the outside triggered a new string of irrational paranoid thoughts. Betty had managed most of the day to keep her cool but as soon as the sun went down and darkness fell, her mind went wild. What if the shady man had a family? What if someone was looking for him? It was clear he was a drug dealer, what if his clients started to go on a bender and started looking for him when he didn’t pick up the phone?  _

 

_ Betty had grabbed her coat and went outside sitting down on the steps on the end of the walkway that led to the front door of her house. As soon as her backside hit the pavement, she put her head in her hands and quietly cried. Her palms were raw, she was spiraling out of control and she had never felt so alone. She couldn’t understand how Chic and her mother had been able to go back to anything that represented a state of normalcy. Not to mention, Betty felt like she was the only one thinking about all the loose ends that had to be tied up. Her mother called her crazy, said she was overreacting, making something out of nothing. Betty sniffed, wiping her nose with her sleeve. Maybe her mother was right, maybe she was losing it.  _

 

_ Just then, a meter maid in police car drove up in front of Betty’s house stopping just a few feet from where Betty was sitting.  _

 

_ “Excuse me miss? Does that car belong to you?” the meter maid asked.  _

 

_ Betty’s eyebrows furrowed together, “Car? What car?”  _

 

_ The meter maid put the car in park and got out, “That one,” she said pointing to a dark green hatchback parked on the other side of the street.  _

 

_ Betty felt a shock go through her system as her adrenal glands started to pump adrenaline into her bloodstream at a super human speed. Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears she almost missed the meter maid asking her again if she knew who the car belong to. Betty let out a shaky breath and shook her head.  _

 

_ “No, I have no idea who’s car that is.” Betty said attempting to make her voice sound normal.  _

 

_ “Ok, well one of your neighbors called it in. It’s illegally parked and if no one moves it by tomorrow morning I’m going to have to tow it.” the meter maid informed her.  _

 

_ Betty swallowed hard, nodding. “Ok, if I see anyone I’ll let them know.”  _

 

_ “Thanks hun,” the meter maid said before getting back into her car and driving away, hopefully none the wiser.  _

 

_ Betty waited until the meter maid’s car disappeared down the street before she sprang into action. She suspected that the keys were with the shady man out by Sweetwater River. Betty knew she couldn’t go back to the body to look for them, it would raise suspicion. Thinking quickly, she ran back into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom and grabbed an empty backpack from her closet. Switching out her flats for a pair of boots, she laced them up and went back down the stairs to the basement where her father’s toolkit was. Betty grabbed a pair of needle nose pliers, wire clippers, a pair of work gloves and a screwdriver. Throwing everything in her bag, Betty ran back down the stairs, out the front door and walked across the street to the car. She experimentally tugged on the handle, opening the driver side door without much effort and took one last look back and forth on the street before getting into the car.  _

 

_ Betty threw the bag on the passenger seat and turned on her iPhone’s flashlight. She took a quick look at the steering column to see what she was working with. Luckily it looked like the car had been made before the 1990’s; thanks to her father, Betty could hotwire old cars in her sleep. Slipping on the gloves, Betty gently pulled on the access panels on the steering panel revealing a bundle of colorful wires. There were three sets, one that supplied the electricity to things like the car lights and cruise control, another that controlled the wipers and the third that led to the car battery and ignition.  _

 

_ Betty pushed the first two sets out of the way and got the wire clippers out of her bag. Carefully, she clipped the ends of the two wires connected to the car battery and ignition and then peeled the insulation back a little to expose the copper wire. Then she grabbed a brown colored wire that controlled the starter and repeated the process. Betty pulled the handbrake and put the car in neutral and then took a deep breath before touching the wires together. Immediately, a spark flew between the wires and she heard the engine turn on and she pressed down on the gas pedal to rev the engine. Betty let the engine run for a minute while she put her tools back in her bag but kept the gloves on, she didn’t want her finger prints on the inside of the car.  _

 

_ Betty took a deep steadying breath. When the meter maid had pointed the car out to her, Betty only thought as far as hot wiring the car, not what to do with it after the fact. Betty’s mind raced wildly and she decided to drive a few miles down Sweetwater River from the body and push the car into the water. Confident with her decision, Betty put the car into drive and drove out to Sweetwater River.  _

 

_ When she got to her destination, Betty separated the battery and ignition wires to cut the engine and then put the car in park. She got out of the car and used her sleeves to wipe off the outside door handle to the car and the inside one as well. Then she took the screwdriver out of her backpack and removed the license plates from the car and tucked them in her backpack. Slinging her backpack over her shoulders, Betty put the car into neutral and pushed it as hard as she could, sending it over the endge and straight into the water. It took a few minutes, but eventually the car took on enough water and it began to sink as it slowly floated down the river.  _

 

_ Betty didn’t even let herself think about what she had done and she turned around and took off running back towards her house. Her lungs burned and her feet ached but Betty didn’t care, anything felt better than what she had been feeling since she found a dead man in her living room. When she finally got back to her house, she went straight to her room and threw everything she had brought home with her back into her suitcase. Once she was sure she had everything, Betty ripped out a piece of paper from her notebook.  _

 

_ Mom-  _

 

_ I can’t do this. I’m going back to school, don’t contact me and try not to worry.  _

 

_ -B _

 

Even though Betty had asked her mother not to she had called her once every day ever since she left. Betty ignored her calls each time and deleted the voicemails before listening to them, she didn’t want to hear anything that her mother had to say. But this was different, they had found the shady man’s car and Betty hadn’t even told her mother that she had gotten rid of it. So how did her mother know that the car on the news that search and rescue was currently pulling out of the river belonged to him? With shaky hands, Betty picked up her phone and dialed her mother’s cell phone number. 

 

“Elizabeth?” a panicked voice said. 

 

Betty immediately felt guilty for completely ignoring her mother and leaving her to deal with the murder and cover up all by herself. 

 

“Mom, what is going on?” Betty said firmly. 

 

“Elizabeth I have been trying to contact to you for weeks! Where have you been?” her mother scolded. 

 

Betty pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, “You know where I have been Mom. Now what’s going on?” 

 

“It’s all over the news, they found that man’s car in the river. How did it get there?” her mother questioned accusingly. 

 

“How do you even know that’s his car?” Betty said playing dumb. 

 

“Chic told me! He was watching the news and he recognized the car! The authorities say that it looks like the car had been hotwired and the plates were taken off before it was pushed into the river. They even found tire tracks that match the tread of the car a few miles up river. Tell me you had nothing to do with this Elizabeth, tell me my daughter wouldn’t do something so recklessly stupid!” Alice was practically screaming by the time she finished. 

 

Betty pressed her fingernails into her palm trying not to lose control. 

 

“You can not be serious,” Betty said through clenched teeth. “I’m not the one who told a drug dealer where we lived, I’m not the one who killed someone in cold blood, and I’m not the one who huddled on the floor in the fetal position useless after the fact.” 

 

“Betty, we’ve been over this. Your brother was protecting me.” 

 

“So was I! I’m the one who helped you clean up the blood, I’m the one who helped you drag the body out to the car and put him in that sketchy old storm drain and yes mom, I’m the one who drove the man’s car out the Sweetwater River and let it sink to the bottom! I did all of it for you Mom so you and your precious long lost son wouldn’t be arrested for second degree murder.” 

 

There was a long pause before her mother let out a heavy sigh, “Elizabeth, just come home. I need you here and we can talk about this more in person.” 

 

Betty squeezed her eyes shut and resisted the urge to scream, her mother always knew how to mentally rip her to shreds, convince her that everything was her fault and then act like she needed her. Betty shook her head - no, she was done playing her mother’s games. If helping her cover up a murder wasn’t enough to win her affection, Betty knew nothing ever would be. 

 

“I’ll think about it Mom. I’ll talk to you soon.” Betty said quietly and then immediately ended the call before her mother could protest. 

 

Betty pressed her forehead to the table, letting the cool wood press into her skull. After a beat, Betty looked down at her palms and she cursed silently when she realized she had broken the skin this time. She grabbed a tissue blotting the blood as she got up and walked to the restroom. Betty turned on the water and winced as the warm water ran over her now gouged skin. She dried her hands and was pleased to see that the bleeding had stopped. Walking back to her desk she checked the time, Betty grimaced when she realized she still had 15 minutes left in her shift. 

 

Suddenly, Betty felt overwhelmingly tired; as usual, her mother was emotionally draining and all Betty could think about was being wrapped up in Jughead’s arms. She knew he would be concerned about her and ask questions but she decided it was worth the risk. 

 

Betty dialed Jughead’s phone number as she began to pack her belongings into her bag. She immediately frowned when it went straight to voicemail, Betty brought her phone down from her ear to look at it. It was unusual for Jughead’s phone to be off. She heard the beep indicating it was time for her to leave a message. 

 

“Hey Jug, it’s me. I just wanted to let you know that I’m coming over a little early. I can’t stand to be at work right now… I’ll explain when I get there. Ok, see you soon.” Betty hit the end button and pulled on her jacket and headed out of the library. 

 

Betty walked quickly in the direction of Jughead’s apartment, she figured she’d find him working in the garage. She hoped that he wouldn’t mind her showing up a little early but she could always go up to his apartment and get started on dinner while he finished whatever he was working on when she got there. 

 

Betty knew that Jughead was going to want to know what was going on. She knew there had been times before they had officially gotten together that he had wanted to ask her but didn’t. Now that he was her boyfriend, she felt like she owed him part of the truth and even if she didn’t, it was important to her that their relationship wasn’t founded on a lie. Betty would tell Jughead that her mom and brother did something terrible and that she helped them cover it up, but for his own safety, she couldn’t share anything else. At least then he would understand what was going on inside her head and worry less when she zoned out and disappeared inside herself. 

 

Betty rounded the corner of the block Jughead’s apartment was on. She paused slightly and jumped into an alleyway when she saw a woman and two men clad in leather jackets exiting the auto shop located below Jughead’s apartment. She couldn’t explain why the sight of them put her on edge and made her want to hide or the way all the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up. Betty peeked around the corner, noted their leather jackets said “The Men of Hades” on the back with a skull that was on fire. Betty figured they must be in a gang of some sort if all three of them were there but why were they at the auto shop? The roar of motorcycle engines cut through her thoughts and Betty waited for them to disappear before she continued down to the shop. 

 

Betty walked quickly, fighting off the deep feeling of dread that was swirling in the pit of her stomach. Betty slipped through the side door of the shop and found it eerily quiet. 

 

“Jughead?” Betty whispered loudly as she looked around. 

 

The dread in the Betty’s stomach went from a case of mild anxiety to full blown panic when she found Jughead lying on the ground, in front of the Jeep Wrangler he had been working on. He had a huge bruise on his right cheek bone that was turning into a black eye and his lip was also busted and bleeding. 

 

Betty kneeled down next to Jughead and shook him slightly. 

 

“Jughead? Jughead wake up, it’s me Betty.” she whispered frantically. 

 

Jughead didn’t respond, his body shaking lifelessly under her hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> Just to get this out of the way- no Jughead is not dead lol he is just unconscious. Chapter 8 will begin with Jughead waking up. 
> 
> So, truth be told I thought a lot about this storyline and Betty and Jughead as individual characters. I figured, now that they're together it's time to get back to their personal drama in their lives. They're going to be tested very early on in their relationship as far as personal baggage goes. What do you all think? Will they be able to lean on each other and get through it or will they continue to keep secrets until shit hits the fan?? 
> 
> Looking forward to reading your thoughts! 
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	8. The Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to my beta @bugheadfanfictionawards for looking this over for me and a special shout out to @pollycooperr on this chapter for helping me out with some “legal” details! I couldn’t have written it without your help!

“Jughead…” Betty pleaded, tears leaking from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

 

Betty didn’t know what to do. For a few horrible seconds, Betty thought Jughead was dead and the only thing she could think about was how little time they had had together. How they weren’t even close to being finished yet because they had barely gotten a chance to begin. She quickly snapped out of her reverie and leaned over him to see if he was breathing. Relief washed over her when she felt the soft caress of Jughead’s breath on her cheek. Jughead was alive, he was severely beaten and unconscious but he was alive.

  
“Betty,” his voice was barely audible over the sound of her quiet sobs, but the raspy quality cut through the sounds and Betty’s eyes widened. “Betty…”, he attempted again.

  
  
“I’m here. I’m right here, Jug. Stay with me,” she pleaded.

 

Jughead could hear Betty’s soft cries along with her pleas for him to stay with her. His head throbbed and he winced every time he tried to open his eyes. The darkness was closing in on him as he fought desperately to stay with her, she was the Ursa Major, Orion, and Taurus all at once lighting up his dark night sky.

 

Jughead felt anxiety grip tightly in his chest as he began to panic. No matter how hard he tried, the darkness seemed to follow him everywhere and latch onto the people he cared the most about. Would she still bring her flashlight now that she knew? Or would she run away from the beckoning shadows like everyone else? Jughead’s mind ran wildly as he faded into darkness...

 

***

 

_Jughead was walking down the street just a short two blocks from his apartment. It was still chilly out, it had been a long winter in New York City with record breaking snow, but mercifully winter was finally beginning to give way to spring. Jughead walked at a faster pace than usual, he was so eager and anxious to get home to catch his dad before he left for his night shift at the warehouse. Jughead knew his dad hating working the night shift but it was a steady job and his dad was finally turning his life around. After almost 2 years of drinking every night, FP had finally decided to call it quits and get his life together. He had even been going to AA meetings twice a week and Jughead couldn’t be more proud. Sometimes Jughead went with him. He knew it was strange but he enjoyed the personal anecdotes people told about their lives and how they had fucked everything up. It made him feel more human every single time that he went._

 

_Jughead’s guidance counselor had called him into his office just after lunch earlier that day. He had been nervous at the time because he had no idea what it was about. He wasn’t the type that got into trouble, so he wasn’t entirely sure what it could be about. He walked into the guidance counselor's office and sat down, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans._

 

_He had all but fainted when the guidance counselor informed him that the school had been contacted by the Dean of the creative writing program at NYU to tell them that Jughead had no only gotten into NYU but they planned to give him a full scholarship. Apparently they had been impressed with the writing sample he had submitted, which was a drabble about a tragedy that had happened in a small town in America. The Dean had been ‘blown away’ by Jughead’s elegant phrasing and imagery of how a tragedy could dismantle a once quiet, happy town._

 

_Jughead had left school immediately, desperate to catch his Dad before he left for work. He couldn’t bare having to wait until the morning to tell him the good news. It truly felt like his luck was changing, like the light at the end of the tunnel. Something good was finally happening for the Jones men._

 

_Jughead rounded the last corner onto his block, his own doorstep just three houses down on the right. He stopped abruptly when he saw two police cruisers, lights blaring, parked outside of his building on the street. He felt frozen in time as he watched his dad being dragged out of their home in handcuffs and he felt all of the air leave his lungs as he was shoved into the back of the police cruiser. He watched as they drove away, taking every ounce of willpower he had left to keep the darkness at bay with them as the lights disappeared down the street._

 

***

 

Jughead’s eyes sprang open, he was covered in sweat and his heart was beating frantically in his chest. His chest heaved in and out and he struggled to catch his breath as the depth of his nightmare faded away. He turned his head slightly, double checking his surroundings, making sure that he was still in the safety of his apartment and not standing on the dimly lit street from all those years ago. A ray of sunlight coming through his bedroom blinds caught his eyes and he quickly turned away from it, wincing. When he first opened his eyes, his head throbbed, but now the light made it feel like there was a sledgehammer slamming away on the inside of his skull. He took a deep breath, feeling confident he would stay conscious, Jughead closed his eyes again in an attempt to gain his bearings.

 

Jughead began to recall the earlier scenario that landed him in his current predicament. Penny came to the shop with two of her henchmen and beat him half to death. Jughead groaned, his thoughts fogging up in his mind as he quickly tried to figure out what his next move should be.

 

Just then, the door of his apartment opened and closed, and for a brief moment, Jughead stiffened, straining to hear who had entered.

 

“Thanks again for your help Joaquin,” he heard Betty say in the front room.

 

 _Betty?_ A brief memory of Betty holding him and crying before he went unconscious came back to Jughead and he gritted his teeth. He couldn’t stand that his fucked up past had affected her in any way, shape, or form. He hadn’t planned on telling her anything about his dad this early in their relationship before they even had a chance to become something.

 

“Anytime Betty, try not to worry. Kevin and I are going to head down to the shop and clean up the blood off the floor before we head out,” Joaquin said.

 

“Let us know if either of you need anything,” Kevin added.

 

There were a few muffled goodbyes and then Jughead heard the front door close again and Betty sighed heavily.

 

Jughead licked his lips and tested his limbs by wiggling his toes and fingers. His throat was so dry and he could taste copper in his mouth. He really wanted some water and possibly a shower but all of that was omitted by wanting to see Betty. He _needed_ to see her. Carefully, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He expected the room to spin, but when everything stayed in its rightful place, he got out of bed. His head was killing him and his whole body was sore. He supposed getting worked over with a tire iron would do that to you.

 

Jughead slowly walked out to the front room of his apartment, pausing slightly as soon as his eyes landed on Betty. She was leaning on the kitchen island with her head in her hands. Jughead’s heart twisted painfully at the sight of her. Even from this angle, he could tell she was distraught and there was blood all over the t-shirt she was wearing. Had he really been bleeding that much?

 

Despite his aching body, anxiety dropped into his stomach making him go cold. He shivered involuntarily and grimaced from the pain that radiated through his body.

 

She must’ve heard him because her head snapped towards him.

 

“Jug…” Betty gasped quietly, surprised to see him standing in front of her.

 

“Hey…” Jughead said wearily.

 

There was no way to describe how Betty felt at the sight of Jughead standing in front of her. A wave of relief crashed over her with a physical force, nearly knocking the wind from her lungs. The sight of him standing in front of her, albeit his beat up appearance, made tears well up in her eyes, tears spilling over and dripping onto her cheeks. There was another feeling, riding closely behind the wave and it was the reason for her tears, but it was a feeling she couldn’t quite acknowledge yet.

 

She was still slightly shocked by the fact that he was up and walking around despite the condition he was in. At first, Betty wanted to call and an ambulance and get him to a hospital. But for some inexplicable reason, she had an odd feeling that Jughead wouldn’t want that. Unsure of what to do, she called Kevin absolutely frantic and begged him to get Joaquin and come to the shop. In that moment, Betty felt like she was spiraling out of control. The combination of her mother’s phone call and the startling sight of her boyfriend, unconscious and battered, on the floor practically pushed her over the edge, to the point of no return.

 

When she first found Jughead in the shop, she had thought that he was dead; and the fear and devastation that gripped her heart in that moment was almost enough to end her. So the fact that he was standing in front of her with his heart still clearly beating made her weak in the knees.

 

Jughead couldn’t tell what Betty was thinking as an unpredictable silence started to build between them and it set him on edge. Betty’s face was twisted in pain and her eyes were glossy as a single tear ran down her cheek. Guilt slammed into him like a freight train, he had done this to her and if there was one thing he never wanted to do in this world, it was hurt her. How could she want to be with a guy like him after something like this? She must’ve been horrified when she found him, adding more baggage to her life than anyone could possibly ever manage to carry.

 

Why wasn’t she saying anything? His mind began to race, a handful of reasons flying through his mind at lightning speed, but he only seemed to be able to hold on to one.

 

 _This is it_ , he figured. Betty looked like she was in so much pain because she was going to end it. That finding him unconscious and bleeding was too much for her and that she couldn’t do this anymore. The darkness billowed and curled, threatening to take him again once and for all. It always threatened to consume him when people left, how was this any different? Jughead shook his head. _No._ He wasn’t going to let Betty leave, it would be too painful for him. He was going to end things with her before she even had a chance, that was the only way he would be able to bear it and even then, he wasn’t sure it would work.

 

Betty wanted to go to him, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss every inch of his broken body. She couldn’t stand the distance between them any longer so she took a step forward, her hand reaching out to him. She thought Jughead would reach for her, but instead, he stepped back, a pained expression on his face.

 

“Jug? What’s wrong?” Betty asked confused.

 

“Betty, you need to go,” Jughead said gruffly, turning away from her. There is no way that he’d be able to look her in the eye for _this_ conversation.

 

Betty felt her heart squeeze painfully and then begin to beat wildly in her chest.

 

“I don’t understand,” Betty said weakly. Why didn’t he want her?

 

“Yeah, well I’m not providing an explanation.” Jughead snapped back, his expression hard. “So just go.”

 

He wanted this over as soon as possible, so she would walk out of his apartment and out of his life and he could return to what his life was like before her. Jughead was proud of all his accomplishments to date. He had gotten out from under Penny’s thumb (well, or so he thought), got a steady job, went full time to school, and maintained a 4.0 GPA. His life was finally predictable, it was stable and that had given him a sense of safety that he hadn’t felt in a really long time. However, despite feeling safe and secure, there was something that crept into his mind sometimes at the end of day when he was lying in the dark. He had spent a lot of time thinking about it and he could only describe it as _more_. He wanted more out of his life than he had and he wanted to share it with someone else.

 

But just like everything else, his abandonment issues and his experience with everything in his life not going the way he wanted, he never pursued his fantasy of more. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop the feelings from expanding in his chest like a balloon and so he resorted to sleeping around to help him dull the ache. Jughead knew it made him an asshole, a lesser version of himself that he didn’t particularly like, but he craved a human connection. He just never saw himself being able to commit to someone until Betty came along.

 

Betty stared in disbelief at Jughead’s face, his desolate state clearly etched deep in his features.

 

After Kevin and Joaquin had shown up to help her and moved Jughead up to his apartment, Betty had given herself a moment to wonder who would beat Jughead half to death and why. She couldn’t come up with anything and she realized then that it was partly because she barely knew anything about him. Not really anyway. He had mentioned in the past about a “darkness” he felt he had that she should stay far away from. Although at the time she didn’t know how serious it was, she told him that she wasn’t afraid of the dark and she meant it. Betty took a deep steadying breath.

 

“No,” Betty stated firmly.

 

Jughead turned to her, misplaced annoyance flaring in his chest, “This isn’t a joke Betty. You need to go. Now. I don’t want you here.” _God, why won’t she just go?_

 

Betty took a step forward, ignoring the jab of him not wanting her, balling her hands into fists.

 

“You’re lying,” she said, setting her jaw.

 

He could barely take it, he needed her to go. The thought of how he had already hurt her was almost unbearable.

 

 _See?_ A taunting voice whispered in his head, _you’ll never be good enough for her._

 

“I SAID LEAVE! GET OUT!” he screamed at her, pointing violently at the door.

 

If Betty had been scared by his outburst, she didn’t show it. Jughead was breathing heavily, his body shaking.

 

“No Jughead! I am not like everyone else in your life. I am NOT going anywhere! Do you hear me? This-” Betty pointed to his current state, “does not scare me Jughead Jones. You’re going to have to try a little harder than that to push me away.”

 

Betty took a tentative step towards him and reached for him again.

 

“Don’t,” he replied, weaker this time, but still taking a step back from her.

 

 _I don’t deserve her, I am never going to be enough for her._ He thought bitterly, _I’m never going to be good enough for anyone._

 

Betty’s heart painfully twisted in her chest from the look of anguish on Jughead’s face. A steady stream of tears began to flow down her cheeks, there was no way she was leaving him now, she didn’t care how much he kicked and screamed.

 

He glared at her, trying to work out in his mind why she just wouldn’t leave.

 

“Why won’t you leave?” he asked looking at the floor, his own tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.

 

Betty looked at him incredulously, “Jughead why are you doing this?”

 

“Because you did this to me! You just had to agree to that dare at McNally’s! You just had to make me fall in love with your laugh or the way you nuzzle your face into my neck before you fall asleep…” Jughead let out an involuntary sob, “I warned you about the darkness, but you stayed anyway. and now my greatest fear is that you’re going to leave me. I was fine before I met you Betty and now…”

 

 _I’m ruined_ , he thought bitterly to himself.

 

Betty closed the remaining distance between them and gently brought her hands up to cup his face, forcing him to look at her.

 

“Jughead,” Betty said quietly, “I am not leaving you… I can’t.”

 

Jughead grabbed her wrists firmly, curling his fingers around them pulling them down in front of his chest.

 

“Why?” he asked, desperate to hear her answer.

 

 _Because I love you._ The thought popped unbidden into her mind, startling her. Could she really love him after such a short amount of time? _No,_ she thought. She couldn’t go there. Not right now. She was desperate to comfort him somehow, desperate to do _something_ , anything to make him see that there was nothing about him she had to run away from.

 

“Don’t you see?” Betty whispered, her voice barely audible while she held his gaze.

 

Jughead looked down as Betty slowly opened her hands for him to see. Jughead looked down at Betty’s palms, small bright red crescent shaped cuts littered her palms. Some of them were fresh, while others were scabbed and beginning to heal. He swallowed, his heart breaking for her and all the pain she must’ve been in.

 

“I have a darkness in me too,” she whispered, her voice nearly breaking.

 

Jughead let out a shaky breath and gently cupped Betty’s hands in his and brought them to his lips before placing a delicate kiss on them. As broken as he was, all he wanted to do in that moment was take away her pain, like she had been doing for him all this time.

 

Betty’s heart ached painfully in her chest as Jughead’s soft lips brushed her fingers. It was no secret that Jughead had always seen her as a perfect girl next door, so she had been secretly terrified of this moment from the beginning. The moment he found out that she was nowhere near perfect, not even a little, not even at all.

 

Jughead leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers and Betty leaned into the kiss relishing the contact. He pulled away and kissed her forehead before pressing his own forehead to hers and exhaling deeply. Betty gently pulled her hands out of his grip and brought them up to either side of his face.

 

“I’m not leaving you Jug, so please, let me help you,” she pleaded softly.

 

Jughead closed his eyes as he felt his heart skip a beat. _I’m not leaving._ Three words. Three simple words that no one in his life had ever bothered to tell him, not even his parents. He wondered for a brief moment if Betty knew the weight of her words and how much they actually meant to him. She had to have known. When he had classes with her in the past, everything she had said, whether it was participating in a discussion or telling him off after class, was always precise and calculated.

 

He had been so wrong about her. He had set her up in his mind to be this perfect girl next door with a perfect life and not a single care in the world. When in reality, she wasn’t perfect at all. Betty Cooper was beautiful and broken and he found himself more drawn to her than ever before.

 

Jughead opened his eyes and looked into Betty’s. Her eyes were shining and she was giving him the same look that made him feel like she was peering into his soul and it always took his breath away. He knew this would be it for them, he could either take the biggest risk of his life- let his defenses down and let her in- or he could push her away, probably ending things between them right then and there.

 

Jughead felt that even though their relationship was new, committing to each other exclusively just two short weeks ago, that he had known Betty his entire life. He knew he’d never be able to walk away from her and trying to push her away would just hurt her in the end.

 

He didn’t want to hurt her. He wanted to protect her, he wanted to be worthy of her love.

 

“Okay,” he agreed, exhaling a shaky breath.

 

“Okay,” she whispered back, lifting her face to Jughead’s and placing a tender kiss on his lips.

 

Jughead wrapped his arms around Betty, pulling her to him and he buried his face into the crook of her neck. Betty clung tightly to him, both of them breathing a sigh of relief, confident that the invisible wall they had put up between them had crumbled and was down for good.

 

***

 

Betty stood in her bedroom packing an overnight bag and running through a mental checklist one more time as she looked over the contents of the bag. She grabbed her makeup bag and headed into the bathroom down the hall from her room to pack some toiletries, secretly thankful that neither of her roommates were home. With everything that already happened that day, Betty knew she wouldn’t be able to stand an interrogation from either Cheryl or Veronica. Not to mention, Jughead was waiting for her at his apartment and she didn’t want to hold him up longer than she had to.

 

After Jughead agreed to let her help him, they had stood wrapped in each other’s arms, suspended in time, for what felt like forever. Betty couldn’t bring herself to let go of him, she had almost lost him- twice. The first when he was beaten half to death and the second when he tried to push her away afterward. But eventually, Jughead’s injuries started to become too much for him to continue to stand and they reluctantly let go of each other.

 

Betty really wanted answers to the hundreds of questions that were racing around in her mind, the main two being - _Who did this to you and, better yet, why?_ However, before Betty could even begin to ask those questions, Jughead told her that he had to leave immediately to go see his dad.

 

_“Betts I know this doesn’t make any sense but I need to do this. I promise I’ll explain everything when I get back.”_

 

_Betty paused, the questions swirling around in her mind coming to a complete halt and her concern for Jughead’s physical condition taking precedence. He still hadn’t been seen by a medical professional and he probably wasn’t in any condition to be driving a car for long periods of time. Although, she wasn’t sure where Jughead’s dad lived._

 

_“I’m coming with you,” Betty blurted out._

 

_Jughead looked at her uneasily, “Betty…” he hesitated._

 

_Betty stepped back into his proximity, gently lacing her fingers into his._

 

_“Let me come with you…” she begged quietly._

 

Betty grabbed her toothbrush out of it’s holder and headed back to her room to throw her final items into her duffle bag. She still didn’t have any answers to her questions, all she knew was that they were going to see Jughead’s dad.

 

When Jughead first agreed to let her come with him, she naively assumed that they’d be driving down to New York City since that’s where Jughead was from. So it made perfect sense to her why Jughead had never shared much about his family before. When he corrected her, stating that his dad wasn’t in NYC but in a federal prison upstate, Jughead didn’t say much else and Betty had been a little too stunned to ask any follow up questions. She figured they’d have plenty of time to talk in the car and later tonight when they got to the hotel they were staying in overnight. Truth be told, Betty didn’t need specifics because she already knew which federal prison Jughead was referring to.

 

The prison was called FCI Ray Brook, just a short thirty minute drive from the city limits of her hometown, Riverdale. It would probably be Chic’s permanent home if anyone ever discovered the Shady’s man rotting corpse. Betty shuddered at the thought and feebly attempted to push it out of her mind as she zipped up her bag and laced up her boots. Betty wanted more than anything to tell Jughead about what was going on with her but there was no way that she was going to make a detour to her hometown; not with the way things were between her and her mother at the moment.

 

Betty slung her bag over her shoulder and she walked over to her dresser to pull her cell phone charger out of the wall before exiting her room. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she self-consciously checked her appearance and pulled her ponytail tight against her head before her eyes traveled to the bottom right hand corner of the mirror. She had written a poem the night after her second date with Jughead, it was intimate and personal. The intensity of her feelings for him had thrown her completely off balance. Jughead had always given her a hard time when they had had classes together, he was never mean (ok maybe she’s being too nice) but he teased her enough to know that he went out of his way to rile her up. So yeah, she never expected to fall head over heels for the emotionally unavailable and notorious fuck boy Jughead Jones; but once she realized the enormity of her feelings for him, she knew she’d never be able to go back to the way things were.

 

When Betty noticed the poem was missing and although she had no proof, she suspected that Jughead had taken it. Betty walked out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her, deciding she’d add asking Jughead about the missing poem to her mile long list of questions.

 

***

 

Betty and Jughead sat silently in the cab of his old pick up truck as he drove them up NY State Route 12 N towards Ray Brook. When Betty first told him that she was going to come with him to see his dad, he had hesitated. He knew he owed her an explanation, he even wanted to tell her the truth because part of him knew that he would be relieved once he was finally able to get it off his chest. But ultimately, he didn’t know where to start and he was still scared about how Betty would react when she learned the truth about him. The other matter that was causing his deafening silence was Betty’s palms. He looked over at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her hands folded in her lap as she looked out the window at the blurring scenery passing by.

 

He breathed a sigh of relief.

 

To say that he was worried about her was an understatement. When Betty first showed him her palms, he didn’t really think about what it meant. He had only wanted to take her pain away and show her that her darkness was nothing to be ashamed of. However, now that he did have the time to think about the old _and_ new crescent shaped injuries on her palms, the only thing he could think about was what Betty had gone through to put them there.

 

Anxiety churned in his stomach like oil mixing into water when he thought about the fresh wounds that were still open on her palms. Dozens of questions swam through his mind as he continued to drive. Had what happened to him caused her to do that to herself? Or was it something that happened before she found him on the floor of the shop?

 

“Hey Betts?” he asked after clearing his throat.

 

Betty turned to him, “Yeah?”

 

He swallowed thickly, afraid to ask what was about to come out of his mouth.

 

“Can you tell me about your palms?”

 

Betty furrowed her brows, looking visibly uncomfortable, but after a beat she raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

 

“Can you tell me about the bruises all over your face?” she said, a teasing tone in her voice.

 

Despite himself and their current situation, Jughead bursted out laughing. _Fair enough,_ he thought. It dawned on him the other day that since he had met Betty, he laughed every single day. He had grown to love this about them that no matter what was going on, good or bad, they always found small moments like this one to make each other laugh. Whether it was a joke she made or a meme she would send him in the middle of the day, he loved it.

 

He loved _her._

 

Jughead stiffened, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. He wasn’t quite ready to accept or even really think about this, he readjusted his grip on the steering wheel and pushed it aside.

 

“I guess I deserve that,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Ya think?” she said, reaching over and giving his thigh a gentle squeeze.

 

Betty watched Jughead as he drove, it was clear to her that he was uncomfortable and wondered briefly how many times he had told his story to people, if at all.

 

“Jug, if you're uncomfortable-” Betty started to say.

 

“No,” he jumped in, cutting her off. “I want to tell you, it’s just… to be honest, I don’t know where to begin.”

 

Betty squeezed Jughead’s hand gently, she knew this had to be difficult for him. She imagined when the tables were turned and it was her turn to share the dark secrets of her life that she would struggle with where to start as well.

 

Jughead took a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain in his ribs. “My dad was in a gang when I was in high school. It was a biker gang and although it didn’t resemble anything like the Sons of Anarchy, they still had an enforcer. She and two of her lackeys paid me a visit today and beat the shit out of me.”

 

Betty swallowed and nodded, the image of a blonde woman and two men exiting the shop came back to her.

 

“Is that why your dad is in jail? He got into trouble while he was in the gang?”

 

Jughead nodded, “When my dad originally joined the gang, I was naive. I thought it was just some bar that my dad went to where there were other men that he drank with who had similar experiences. It wasn’t until he got arrested that I learned the truth, that they were a legitimate gang and they ran illegal guns in and out of the city. Apparently, my dad was a high ranking member, I guess he had proven his loyalty to them over the years and what not. Anyways, a month before my dad got arrested he had come home one night and he was completely shaken up. He was crying and just kept saying over and over again that he was screwed but wouldn’t tell me how. Eventually, I had gotten him to calm down and put him to bed and we didn’t speak of it again until I went to go visit him in county lockup.” Jughead paused, the image his dad in a bright orange jumpsuit, handcuffed to a metal table returning to him. “I was so mad at him Betts. I thought he had gotten his shit together you know? I thought we were finally getting out of the mess he’d made. I told him that if he ever wanted a chance to earn my forgiveness he needed to come clean about everything. I didn’t want to be blindsided again. So, he told me. The night that he had come home freaking out and crying he had gone out on a job with a few of his fellow gang members. They didn’t give him the details, he was just told where they were going and that he was going to drive the car. That’s it. My dad said that he had a bad feeling the entire time but there wasn’t anything he could do about it since he didn’t know what the plan was. They ended up driving up in front of this brownstone on the east side and everyone but him got out of the car and went into the house.”

 

“What were they doing there?” Betty asked. She was on the edge of her seat, each detail Jughead provided pulling her deeper into the suspense of his story.

 

“My dad said that before the members went into the house he had driven them to, one of them popped the trunk and handed out a set of baseball bats. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him that something was wrong and that he should just drive away, but his loyalty got the better of him. Fifteen minutes went by and the next thing my dad knew, the members were running out of the house towards the car and one of them was covered in blood. There were sirens in the background so once they jumped into the car screaming _drive, drive, drive,_ his adrenaline kicked in and my dad got them the hell out of there. When they got back to the bar, my dad demanded answers. He said that if he was going to be a part of a crime, he at least deserved to know the truth about what was going on. So the leader of the gang pulled him into the back office and told him the truth.” Jughead paused for a moment, as he attempted to gather and straighten out the details in his head before he repeated them. “So like I said, the gang my dad was a part of, dealt in illegal weapons. Mostly guns but sometimes other things as well. There was a gun trade that had been set up with a rival gang a few months prior. Apparently, the guys trading with them had tried to rip them off. There was an argument and one of my dad’s guys killed them.”

 

Betty’s hand flew to her mouth in shock. She couldn’t imagine Jughead being related to someone who was a part of something so violent.

 

“The leader of the gang had been furious. Not only because the deal had gone south but because his men had made such a mess of things. They didn’t even bother trying to hide to bodies or clean up any traces of them being there, including making sure there were no witnesses.”

 

“Someone in the rival gang?” Betty asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

 

“No,” Jughead said, “It was a security guard that worked nights at the warehouse where the deal had gone down. He had heard the commotion and went to check it out but when he saw what was happening, he hid to save himself. It was only after they left that the security guard called the police.”

 

Betty shook her head, all the details coming together for her now. “So the house that your dad drove to… it belonged to the witness?”

 

“Bingo. My dad was charged with witness tampering without the use of physical force. He spent the first year of his sentence on Rikers Island and then was transferred to Ray Brook to serve the rest of it.”

 

“Why did they transfer him to Ray Brook?” Betty asked.

 

“I got his lawyer to petition to have him moved to another facility,” Jughead said nonchalantly like it was something as simple as tying his shoes.

 

“You did?” Betty asked incredulously.

 

Jughead scoffed, “Of course I did Betts, haven’t you ever seen Law & Order? Rikers is a terrible place. I was worried about my dad’s safety.”

 

Betty thought for a moment, of course, she wasn’t naive enough to believe that prison was anything like TV dramas made them out to be. She just didn’t ever think about how terrible prison really could be, not because she thought otherwise, but because it just wasn’t something that had ever really crossed her mind. Betty thought it was admirable of Jughead, how he went out of his way to keep his dad safe even though he had done something so egregious. Especially since that something had completely derailed Jughead’s entire young adult life.

 

Betty reached over and placed her hand on Jughead’s forearm making him look at her for a brief second. Her soft green eyes, so strikingly beautiful were staring back at him but once again, no pity or regret were anywhere to be seen, unlike countless others.

 

“I’m really sorry you had to go through all of that Jughead,” Betty said softly before taking her hand away.

 

“Thanks Betty,” he said softly and then quickly looked back at the road.

 

His skin tingled where her hand had been like it always did when she touched him. However this time, the act of Betty placing her hand on his arm like that brought him back to when she had done it a few weeks ago at the coffee shop. It was still during winter break so no one was around, it was just the two of them in the shop and he had just told her that he spent his entire break alone. _“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t go anywhere because I don’t have any family to go home to.”_ He vividly remembered that he had meant as a joke, something to lighten the mood and make her feel better about whatever was going on with her. Of course, it had the opposite effect and when she reached over and placed her hand on his arm, there had been a feeling that went through him similar to what he was feeling now. That was the first time he realized how much of a goner he was for her.

 

“So how does all of this connect?” Betty asked, breaking him out of his train of thought. “Why did this enforcer come after you?”

 

Jughead sighed heavily, “That’s the thing, I wish I knew. She didn’t uh...really explain.”

 

“What?” Betty asked, a chill settling over her causing goosebumps to cover her flesh.

 

“Yeah she uh... “ Jughead winced internally at the memory of the sinister look in the Cerberus’s eyes, “she said that she had a message for my dad and when I asked what it was, her men started hitting me until everything went dark.”

 

A deafening silence fell over the cab again as Betty processed the information. She realized now why Jughead had originally hesitated to let her come with him. Betty felt anxiety explode in her chest as she looked back over at Jughead’s beautiful and bruised face. Jughead wasn’t going to visit his dad because he wanted to, he was going to visit him because he had to.

 

“You’re it aren’t you?” Betty asked as she turned to him wide eyed, “You’re the message.”

 

Jughead pressed his lips into a thin line, he knew that if she came with him and he told her the truth about everything that she would figure that part out on her own. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles went white.

 

Without looking at her he finally said, “Yeah Betts, I am.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> Oh-mi-goodness, I can't even begin to explain to you how excited I was to update with this chapter!! I'm really proud of it compared to the others so I hope it was worth the wait! 
> 
> Looking forward to reading your thoughts/comments and as always I hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	9. Unsteady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! Lots of "adult" things happening over the last two weeks. Fair warning this chapter is LONG - clocking in just shy of 7,000 words!!! 
> 
> Shout out to @bugggghead for her never-ending support on this fic and especially helping me with the dialogue during the prison visit scene! 
> 
> Enjoy! :*

Betty and Jughead woke up early the next morning, despite getting in late the night before. Jughead smirked to himself as he saw all the likes he was getting on Instagram from the picture he has posted of Betty the night before. 

 

When they got in late last night, Jughead was starving and even though they were both exhausted from the four hour drive, they opted to get something to eat at the diner next to the hotel they were staying at. They both had gotten breakfast for dinner- Betty ordered eggs and toast while he ordered the “loaded pancakes” with extra bacon on the side. At some point after they had gotten their food, Jughead looked across the table at Betty and for the 100th time since he met her, he was in awe of how beautiful she looked. Betty had no makeup on, her hair was pulled back in a loose bun and she was dressed comfortably in a grey jacket and white cotton t-shirt. The feeling he had earlier in the evening when the realization that he loved the green-eyed blonde sitting across from him biting into her toast swelled in his chest. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and opened his camera. 

 

_ “What are you doing?” Betty asked.  _

 

_ “Capturing this moment,” Jughead said with a smirk.  _

 

_ “What?” Betty asked alarmed even though she was giggling.  _

 

_ She raised her hand in a weak attempt to block his shot but he took the photo anyway. He immediately posted it to Instagram with the caption, “My favorite meal with my favorite girl.” Betty immediately rolled her eyes when she saw the notification of the tag pop up on her phone.  _

 

Little did Betty know that Jughead was documenting the very second that he knew he was in love with her. He had never felt this way about a girl before and although he was sure it would be ingrained in his mind forever, he still wanted to capture the moment he realized he was utterly and irrevocably in love with Elizabeth Cooper. 

 

Betty looked over at Jughead lounging on the bed, staring at his phone while she zipped up her overnight bag. 

 

“And here I thought Jughead Jones didn’t like attention,” she said sarcastically. 

 

Jughead chuckled, “What can I say Betts, the camera just loves you.” 

 

Betty rolled her eyes at him and then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She uncapped the tooth paste, put some on her toothbrush, ran it under the tap and began brushing her teeth. As she did, she turned around and rested her shoulder against the door frame. 

 

“Can I ask you something?” Betty said, pausing her brushing for a moment. 

 

“Sure, what’s up?.” Jughead said without looking up from his phone. 

 

“How do we feel about your dad?” 

 

Jughead’s head snapped up to look at her, his eyebrows furrowing together. 

 

“What do you mean?” he asked, clearly confused. 

 

Betty went back into the bathroom and spit into the sink before rinsing her mouth out and putting the travel cap back on her toothbrush. 

 

“I mean,” she said from the bathroom. “Do we like him? Are we still mad at him?” Betty paused again and walked back out to the bedroom. “I just want to know what we’re walking into here.” 

 

Jughead tilted his head and smiled at her, “We?” 

 

Betty returned his smile as she walked over to him and sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. 

 

“Yeah Juggie, we’re in this together,” Betty said simply. 

 

Jughead felt his heart skip a beat as he sat up and gently cupped her cheeks, bringing her in for a kiss. When he pulled back to look at her, he was still in awe that the beautiful woman in front of him was still here despite everything he had put her through. 

 

Betty’s eyes fluttered closed at the contact, relishing the feeling of his lips on hers. When she opened her eyes again, Jughead was still looking at her and the look in his eyes made her feel a little breathless. 

 

“What was that for?” Betty asked. 

 

“For just being you,” Jughead answered simply. 

 

Betty felt her cheeks blush at the sentiment and the two of them looked at each other for a few more heartbeats. She couldn’t help but notice that time always seemed suspended for them in moments like these when it was just the two of them. When it did happen, the warm fuzzy feeling she got around him these days returned to her chest and she wondered if this was what falling in love felt like. The feelings swirled up in her chest, almost making her confess how she felt right then and there. It was on the tip of her tongue that she was falling hopelessly in love with him. 

 

“But to answer your question Betts, no we don’t hate him. I was angry when he screwed up but I’ve forgiven him,” Jughead said. 

 

Betty nodded. “That makes sense. So are you ready to go then?” 

 

“Yeah. I’ll go check us out at the front desk. Can you go over to the diner and get us some coffee and I’ll meet you at the car?” 

 

“Sure,” Betty said as she got up to gather her things. 

 

Jughead stood and gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, giving her a quick peck on the lips. Despite the fact that he was going to go see his dad and all the other shit he had been through in the last 24 hours, he couldn’t help but feel happy when he was around her. Her presence made him feel safe and somehow invincible all at the same time. She made him brave. He wanted to hold on tight to her and never let her go. Jughead idly wondered if this was what falling in love felt like for everyone. 

 

“Thanks, Betts,” Jughead said as he watched a blush creep up onto her cheeks again. 

 

“You’re welcome,” Betty said as she grabbed her bag and headed to the parking lot. 

 

Betty was smiling like a crazy person, Jughead made her so inexplicably happy. She practically skipped over to the pickup truck and she hopped up onto the back tire so that she could climb into the truck bed and secure her duffle bag. Just as Betty was about to climb down, she got the feeling like someone was watching her. She hopped down from the truck bed and looked around but didn’t see anyone blatantly staring at her. However, she knew that didn’t mean much. 

 

Betty read an article once in Science Digest. It said that even if our brain doesn’t register seeing something (or someone), our visual cortex will and that’s why the human body alerts us of danger, even if we never saw it in the first place. Meaning, our brains still register that we’ve seen something even if our conscious mind misses it. Betty wondered briefly what she could have seen. It wasn’t like her mother to come this far out of Riverdale so it couldn’t be that. Not to mention, no one she knew was even aware she was this close to Riverdale, to begin with. 

 

Taking one more glance around the parking lot and deciding that she was probably just paranoid since she was so close to home, she shrugged off the feeling of unease and headed into the diner. She ordered two coffees, one black and one with cream and sugar and two breakfast sandwiches. Although Jughead didn’t say he was hungry, she knew with his endless appetite he’d start to complain sooner or later. She waited for their order and took a seat at the counter in front of one of the windows and once again she got the feeling that someone was watching her. She looked over her shoulder out the window but still didn’t see anything, not that she had a good view of the parking lot from this angle anyway. 

 

Out of nowhere, a pair of hands gripped her shoulders causing her to gasp and jump out of her seat.

 

“Easy there Betts, it’s just me!” Jughead chuckled. 

 

Betty clutched her chest, “Jesus Jughead you scared me!” 

 

Jughead was about to laugh again, taking a small victory in scaring his girlfriend, but it died on his lips when he saw the look of alarm on Betty’s face. He knew they were only about 30 minutes outside of her hometown and it wasn’t lost on him that she hadn’t said anything about it. Now that he saw the look on her face, he was beginning to understand why. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he conceded. 

 

Betty forced a smile, “It’s ok, I’m fine.” 

 

Jughead placed a hand on her cheek in an attempt to soothe her. 

 

“When we’re done with my dad later today, you are going to tell me what’s been going on with you,” Jughead said softly. 

 

Betty felt anxiety rise in her chest, she wasn’t ready to tell him about the Shady man and all of his blood on her living room floor. 

 

“Jug-” she started to say. 

 

“Betty you begged me to let you in and let you help me… are you going to make me do the same?” 

 

Betty sighed. “No,” she acquiesced. 

 

Jughead stroked his thumb over her cheekbone and then leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. Betty tilted her chin up, welcoming the kiss grabbing onto his plaid shirt to pull him closer, making him smile against her mouth. 

 

“Careful Cooper, you might turn me into a softy.” 

 

Betty gasped in faux shock, “Well we wouldn’t want that would we?” 

 

Jughead rolled his eyes just as the waitress brought them their breakfast sandwiches in a brown bag and two piping hot cups of coffee. Jughead grabbed their to-go bag and they headed out of the diner and back to the truck. Betty didn’t get the same feeling of dread that she had earlier, but she still looped her arm through Jughead’s as they made their way across the parking lot to the truck. 

 

***

 

Betty pulled the truck into a spot in the parking lot in front of the prison. She had offered to drive so that Jughead could eat his breakfast sandwich and fill her in a little bit more about his dad. Jughead had told her about his parents met and how his dad’s drinking problem and the inability to hold down a job is what eventually drove his parents apart. Jughead had never been too crazy about his dad joining a gang but the appeal made sense to him and until his dad was arrested, Jughead didn’t think his dad had been involved in anything illegal. 

 

Betty put the truck in park and looked over at Jughead, he was staring ominously out the window at the front of the prison. She looked over the nasty bruise that was covering the majority of Jughead’s cheek. Betty winced internally because it honestly looked really painful. It was still an angry deep shade of purple even though other spots on his face were starting to fade into an ugly brownish yellow. She wondered how Jughead’s dad was going to react to seeing his son battered and bruised, knowing he was the cause. 

 

That was the other strange thing about this whole situation. Jughead knew he was the message but he didn’t actually know what it meant, it was the whole reason why they were here in the first place. 

 

Jughead sighed, “I always feel anxious before going in to see him.” 

 

Betty reached over and affectionately squeeze his hand, “It’s going to be ok.” 

 

Jughead smiled warmly at her and they go out of the car. They walked towards the tan brick building, their hands laced together. Jughead scanned the building, he always found it slightly overwhelming how much barbed wire covered the top of the building and surrounding fences. He always wondered who made that decision and why. Had one too many convicts jumped the fence in an attempt to escape back in the day? He knew it was a silly thought but still something he wondered about all the same. 

 

When they entered the building, Jughead led Betty to the sign-in desk and they handed over their driver licenses. After they were cleared, they walked into another room between sign-in and security. 

 

“We’ll wait here while they go get my dad and once he’s on his way to the visitation room, we’ll be called to go through security,” Jughead informed her in a hushed tone. 

 

Betty nodded. She had never done this before so she appreciated Jughead giving her all the details. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait very long before a prison guard came through the double doors and called their names. When they got into the security room, Betty and Jughead had to hand over all of their belongings to be held until they finished their visit. Betty emptied her pockets, pulling out her phone and wallet and Jughead’s keys and placed them all in a large brown paper bag. Jughead placed his wallet in the bag and then froze. 

 

He was missing something. 

 

“I have your keys,” Betty offered, assuming that was the reason he looked concerned all of the sudden. 

 

“No, it’s my phone. I guess I left it at the diner when I went in to meet you,” Jughead said, his brows furrowed together. 

 

Jughead retraced his steps that morning in his mind trying to pinpoint where he lost it. He definitely had it when he checked out because he looked at his phone right before he went into the diner. He must’ve set it down on the counter while he was talking to her. 

 

“Oh no! We can go back and get it as soon as we’re done here. I’m sure they held onto it,” Betty said trying to reassure him. 

 

Jughead nodded in agreement, there wasn’t a lot he could do about it at this point anyway. He had more important things to take care of, like seeing his dad and figuring out why Penny Peabody had paid him a visit. Jughead worried that his dad was involved in something shady here at the prison but he didn’t want to assume the worst until he had a chance to speak to him. 

 

Once their belongings were secured with the guard, a different guard led them down a long hallway that had a security camera every 10 feet and no windows.  

 

The guard stopped just before the double doors at the end of the hallway. 

 

“You’re at desk #15, you get 20 minutes to visit. Once you pick up the phone on the wall the timer will start so make sure you don’t waste any time,” the guard said. 

 

Jughead nodded at him. “Got it. Thank you.” 

 

The guard returned his nod and then pulled open one of the doors for Jughead and Betty to go through. They stepped into a large room that was longer than it was wide. There were desks that sat side by side in a long row that ran from wall to wall. Instead of the walls being made of plaster, they were made of glass and Betty could see other inmates sitting on the other side of it. There were two chairs to each desk and two phones. Betty guessed you picked the phones up to communicate with the person on the other side of the glass. Jughead walked ahead of her, down to desk #15 and paused slightly as he took in the man on the other side. 

 

FP Jones stood on the other side of the glass first with a smile on his face that transformed slowly into a grimace. FP went wide-eyed when he took in his only son’s mangled appearance. Jughead knew that his father was going to be upset about how he looked but Jughead guessed only his dad would know why Penny had paid him a visit. When Jughead’s eyes landed on a fresh cut on FP’s cheek, he suspected he had guessed right. 

 

Before FP could pick up the phone and speak, Betty stepped into view giving him a shy smile. FP looked confused for a moment, his eyes traveling between Jughead to Betty and then back to Jughead, but by the time he sat down, there was a smirk playing on his lips. 

 

Jughead sat down and put his hand on the phone and FP did the same with the phone on his side. Jughead pointed his chin at the phone on Betty’s side and then nodded at his father and they all picked up the phone starting the 20 minute timer. 

 

“Hi, Dad. How are you doing in here?” Jughead said. 

 

“Hey son, aren’t you gonna introduce me to your girl first?” FP asked, clearly curious that Jughead had brought someone with him. 

 

“Dad this is my girlfriend Betty, Betty this is my dad, FP Jones,” Jughead said. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jones,” Betty said. 

 

FP snorted, “Please, call me FP. ‘Mr. Jones’ was my father.” 

 

Betty gave him a soft smile. 

 

“We’re not here for a social visit Dad. How are you doing in here?” Jughead said sighing. 

 

“Judging by your face, I think I should be the one asking you how you’re doing out there. What the  _ hell  _ happened to your face boy?” FP questioned. 

 

Jughead’s stomach twisted, he hated when his dad called him that. He couldn’t help feeling like he was still an insignificant teenager when his father called him ‘boy’. 

 

“I got a visit from the Cerebus,” Jughead said, watching his father’s reaction carefully, “she said she had a message for you.” 

 

FP’s eyes narrowed, “Yeah? What’d she say? What was the message?” 

 

“Well that’s why we’re here Mr. J-” Betty cleared her throat, “FP, she didn’t say anything to Jughead, she just had two of her guys beat the crap out of him.” 

 

Jughead nodded. “We were hoping you could give us some insight. Are you having problems in here dad? I deserve to know.”

 

FP paused for a long moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. Betty looked at Jughead out of the corner of her eye and counted the seconds as the ticked by in slow motion. Jughead studied his father’s face intently. Jughead was always known to be a straight shooter and honest to a fault but what most people didn’t know is that he learned that from his father who was exactly the same. Over the years, Jughead got to know all of his father’s tells, especially when he was lying. It had been fun when Jughead was a child and wanted to know if he got the special moleskine notebooks he begged for Christmas or that new bicycle for his birthday but it wasn’t fun when it came to something like this.  

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, boy,” FP finally said. 

 

Jughead glared at him, “Seriously? Don’t be fucking perfidious Dad.” 

 

FP rolled his eyes and then looked at Betty in an apparent attempt to avoid Jughead’s line of questioning. “Did he tell you that all he wanted for his 3rd birthday was a dictionary and a thesaurus? My boy, always using such big words so the rest of us feel stupid and small.” 

 

“Oh, fuck off dad,” Jughead said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

 

Betty had to admit, even from the little Jughead had told her about his dad she had no idea what to expect but she definitely did not expect this. She really thought that FP would be as alarmed as she was when he saw the state that Jughead was in but he didn’t seem to be at all.

 

For the longest time Betty could not piece together why Jughead had been so angry and closed off to the world but now she was staring at her answer. It broke her heart as she realized that this must have been what Jughead’s relationship had been like with FP for his entire life. FP kept Jughead at arm’s length so it made sense that Jughead did the same thing with her for awhile. 

 

“Tell me what’s going on Dad or I’ll leave and pull your commissary funds on my way out,” Jughead threatened. 

 

“Fine boy, you don’t have to be so dramatic about it. You know I need my commissary,” FP acquiesced. “I didn’t want to tell you but Penny came to see me last week and asked me to help her smuggle some product into this place. Of course, I said no. I don’t need a single extra day in here if I can help it. We both know I’m lucky I’m looking at less than a decade in here. Well, she was angry. She tried to tell me that I owed Hades Men for getting less time in here on the original sentence and  I told her to go to hell. I told her that I knew my boy settled that debt not too long ago.” 

 

Jughead felt pride swell in his chest at his dad’s admission. Even though it ended with the cuts and bruises that still adorned his face, he was proud of his dad for staying away from Penny.  

 

“What happened to  _ your  _ face?” Jughead asked. 

 

FP shrugged. “You know how the Cerebus is, even if you cut off one head, there’s two more waiting to bite back. She tried to have me jumped in here but too bad for her I was prepared. Both of the guys she hired to jump me got put into solitary so it makes sense that she paid you a visit to settle the score.” 

 

Betty grimaced as she felt bile rise in the back of her throat. Jughead and FP seemed so calm despite the circumstances and it was hard for her to wrap her mind around the fact that this was “normal” for them. 

 

“What’s the likelihood that Penny and her guys will come back for round two?” Jughead asked. 

 

If he was being honest, he wasn’t worried about himself. He was worried about Betty. An involuntary chill went down his spine as he thought about what would’ve happened if Betty came to the garage while Penny and her men were in the middle of kicking the living crap out of him. 

 

FP leaned on the table and rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he gave an answer. 

 

“I don’t think so. I’ve got a call into Marcus to see if Penny is legit or not or if she’s just working on her own. If I hear anything concrete I’ll make sure to get in touch with you,” FP said. 

 

Jughead nodded. “Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.” 

 

“Alright, enough about all this drama,” FP said, giving Betty a wink. “Tell me about you, son! What’s new? How’s school?” 

 

Betty sat quietly while Jughead and FP used the remaining time to catch up with one another. Jughead filled him in on school and work at the shop and before they knew it, the warning on the timer was flashing. Betty’s heart clenched with sadness as she watched FP and Jughead exchange a look full of melancholy and regret. 

 

All of the sudden she felt guilty about her own family. Her mother was only thirty minutes away and not behind bars (for now) yet she wasn’t even going to go see her. Betty felt her breath catch in her throat as a wave of anxiety crashed over her. She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that the sharp pain would help it pass quicker. 

 

Jughead gave her a concerned look out of the corner of his eye and he reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze. He knew she looked anxious but the “why” was unknown to him. He wondered what she was thinking and if it was a mistake bringing her here. 

 

“It was nice meeting you, Betty. Keep an eye on my boy for me,” FP said. 

 

Betty gave him a fond smile. “I will. I promise.” 

 

Jughead’s heart skipped as Betty said the words, ‘I promise’ _.  _ His heart warmed affectionately. It surprised him every single time and took his breath away that he was so utterly gone for this girl. 

 

“We’ll talk soon Dad.” 

 

“Sounds good kid, I love ya,” FP said. 

 

“I love you too,” Jughead said just before the timer went off and cut the telephone line. 

 

The three of them stood and Betty and Jughead gave FP a wave goodbye before walking back to the double doors that led out to the hallway. 

 

When they got out to the parking lot, Betty grabbed Jughead’s hand and tugged on it to stop him in his tracks. 

 

“What-” Jughead started to ask before Betty placed her hands on either side of his face and pressed her lips to his for a thorough kiss. Jughead raised his eyebrows in surprise before he leaned into it, wrapping his arms around her lower back and dipping her slightly. Betty opened her mouth, allowing Jughead’s tongue entrance as they continued to languidly kiss out and in the open. Once again, time stopped as they got wrapped up in each other. 

 

It wasn’t until they heard someone complain ‘ _ there are children here!’  _ that their surroundings seemed to return to them, resulting in them pulling away from each other. Jughead rested his forehead on hers and chuckled to himself as Betty slid her hands down his chest. They both looked a little flushed and were breathless as Betty gave Jughead a small smile. 

 

“You okay Betts?” Jughead asked, confused by her public displays of affection. 

 

“I just care about you so much….” Betty whispered softly, looking up into his glacial blue eyes. “Thank you for letting me come with you today, I’m glad you didn’t do that alone.” 

 

Jughead smiled down at her, sweeping a stray hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail away from her face. Staring deeply into Betty’s eyes, he couldn’t get over how beautiful his girl was. 

 

“You know, since we have to go back to that diner to get my phone we should just book another night at that hotel we stayed at last night,” Jughead said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. 

 

Betty chuckled, “Seriously?” 

 

“Yeah- you want to?” Jughead asked, biting his lower lip apprehensively. 

 

“Sure, Juggie,” Betty said lacing her fingers into his as they started back to the car. 

 

***

 

It wasn’t until Jughead pulled the truck into the parking lot of the hotel that she remembered the eerie feeling she had gotten that morning, almost like someone was watching her. She had been so distracted by their sweet and intimate moment in the parking lot and their conversation on the way back that she didn’t even think about it when Jughead asked her to stay another night. She already agreed to stay, but maybe it wasn’t too late for her to make up an excuse and convince Jughead that they should drive back to campus that night.  

 

When Jughead put the car in park, she quickly scanned the parking lot to see if there was anything that looked out of place. They both got out of the car and went into the diner and Betty felt her stomach roll when the ominous feeling that she was being watched returned. She quickly followed Jughead into the diner. Luckily, the waitress that took their breakfast order that morning was still working and had held onto Jughead’s phone. 

 

He sighed in relief, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he lost his phone but it would be convenient either. Especially since they planned to stay another night. He wanted to text Tallboy about the visit and let him know he’d be back at work tomorrow afternoon. They thanked the waitress and exited the diner back out to the parking lot. 

 

“Ok, you wait here and I’ll go inside and get us a room,” Jughead offered. 

 

Betty looked up at him and smiled. “Ok, sounds good.” 

 

“Be right back,” Jughead said, dropping a quick kiss on her cheek. 

 

Glancing around the parking lot again, and once again finding nothing, Betty decided that maybe she was just paranoid since she was so close to home. Betty leaned against the side of the truck and let out the breath she’d been holding- she felt like a crazy person. Just as her resolve started to settle, a voice came out of nowhere making her jump straight out of her skin. 

 

“Hi Betty,” a disembodied voice said. 

 

Betty whirled around instantly recognizing the owner of the voice. “Chic?!” 

 

***

 

Jughead stood at the counter in the hotel lobby and smiled to himself. He wasn’t sure Betty would want to stay another night with him here when he suggested it. He knew that they were extremely close to her hometown of Riverdale but it seemed strange to him that she hadn’t said anything about it. Even to just mention it in passing. 

 

When he had startled her earlier that morning in the diner, he couldn’t get over the look of  _ fear _ in her eyes. He had meant what he said- one way or another he was going to get her to tell him what the hell had been going on with her before they went on their first date. He suspected it had to with Betty’s mother and brother, but he had nothing solid to go on to be sure other than what she had already shared. 

 

The hotel concierge gave Jughead back his credit card and gave him two room keys before wishing him a pleasant stay. Jughead gave her a polite nod and then headed back out to the truck to meet Betty. When he exited the building, Jughead expected to see Betty still waiting for him by the truck but when she wasn’t there, he immediately became confused. When he quickly scanned the parking lot and didn’t immediately see Betty, anxiety started to slowly uncurl in the pit of his stomach. However, before he could put much thought into where Betty had gone, he heard two people arguing and one of them was definitely Betty. 

 

Jughead furrowed his brows and then walked towards the truck and realized that Betty was arguing with someone behind the truck. 

 

“Ow, Chic! Let go of me!” Betty yelled. 

 

Jughead ran around the truck to find a tall, thin man with short platinum blonde hair with his hands gripped tightly around Betty’s arms. It didn’t look like he was trying to take her anywhere but he was shaking her like he was trying to make a point. Blinding rage exploded in Jughead’s chest as a primal instinct to protect Betty at all costs took over his body. 

 

“Hey!” he yelled as he got closer. “Let go of her!” 

 

Betty and Chic turned to see Jughead quickly walking towards them. Betty felt relief wash over her at the sight of him and luckily, Chic released her. She stepped back and away from Chic just as Jughead reached them and Jughead got right up in Chic’s face.

 

“You better have a pretty good reason to have your hands on my girlfriend or I’m going to punch your fucking lights out,” Jughead growled. 

 

“Ahh, the protective boyfriend. Real cute,” Chic smirked, the last part directed at Betty. 

 

Betty glared at him, she had never hated her brother more than right at that very moment. She was still trying to figure out how he knew she was here and how long he had been following them.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” Jughead demanded. 

 

“I’m Betty’s brother Chic and if you don’t mind, Betty and I were having a private conversation,” Chic sneered. 

 

Betty felt fear bloom in her chest again, she didn’t want to be left alone with Chic. 

 

“Actually Chic, I don’t think we have anything left to discuss,” she said firmly. 

 

Chic glared at her again and Jughead stepped in front of him to block Chic’s line of vision to Betty. 

 

“Nice to meet you Chic. Maybe you and I can have a private conversation next time we see each other,” Jughead threatened. 

 

Chic looked at him again and smirked. Chic’s smirk sent Jughead to a whole new level of rage and it took everything in his power not to punch Chic in the jaw. Jughead had never been much of a fighter, but there were a few times when he was a teenager that an indescribable rage, much like the one he felt now, took over his mind and body. Sometimes he would punch an inanimate object like a wall or a locker and sometimes it would be someone’s face. 

 

Chic side stepped and made like he was going to try to go around Jughead. Jughead side stepped with him and in the same motion grabbed Chic’s shirt by his shoulders. 

 

“I am asking you nicely this time,” Jughead said, his voice low, “You try that again and I won’t be asking you at all.” 

 

Chic glared at him, “I’m not scared of you.” 

 

“Yeah, well, you should be,” Jughead warned. 

 

Betty stepped closer. “Jughead, C'mon, let’s go.” 

 

Jughead released Chic and took a step back and placed his arm around Betty’s shoulders. 

 

“This conversation isn’t over Betty. I’ll be sure to tell our mother you said hello,” Chic said. 

 

Before Chic could say anything else, Jughead gripped Betty’s shoulders and began leading her towards the hotel. He wanted to put as much distance between them as quickly as possible for both Betty’s sake and his own. Jughead knew deep in his bones that despite Chic being Betty’s brother, he was bad news. There was also the thought in the back of his mind that the next time he and Chic saw each other, it was not going to be polite or represent any type of family gathering. 

 

As soon as they crossed the threshold into the hotel, Jughead could feel Betty begin to shake underneath his arms. He looked down at her and tears were starting to stream down her cheeks. He quickly hit the up arrow for the elevator and as soon as they stepped on, Jughead dropped a kiss on top of Betty’s head and pulled her closer. 

 

He didn’t let go of her until they were in the safety of their hotel room and the door was bolted behind them. Betty sat down on the edge of the bed as Jughead went to the window and peeked out the curtains. 

 

“Was that guy really your brother?” Jughead asked wearily. 

 

Betty nodded, wiping the tears from her face. “Yeah, it was… but he hasn’t always been in my life.” 

 

Jughead turned to face her. “What do you mean?” 

 

Betty got up and began to pace the floor. “When my sister Polly got pregnant… my mom had been devastated… she had always been controlling you know? But my sister stepping out of the precious line my mom had laid for us while we were growing up just sent her over the edge. I thought maybe, just maybe if she had something else to focus on that she wouldn’t be so hard on me, you know? Everyone thought we were the perfect family… and we were, on the outside at least. We were the definition of the pure American family, blonde hair, bright smiles and a pristine white picket fence.” Betty stopped pacing and looked at Jughead, heavy tears dripping from her eyes and falling halfway down her cheeks, “... but the smiles were fake and the fence just ended up suffocating me.” 

 

Jughead frowned, his expression doleful and grave. He’d never seen Betty so broken and desolate but he knew she needed to get this out and he was prepared to let her. 

 

“Do you remember how I came back early from winter break?” Betty asked. 

 

Jughead nodded, “Of course. I was so surprised to see you sitting in the coffee shop but you never told me why you came back early… other than it was because of your Mom and half-brother and that it was complicated.” 

 

Betty started to pace the floor again. “I came home from seeing some of my old high school friends, I walked through the door, dropped my keys in the bowl and I remember catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror.” Betty paused and closed her eyes, the whole scene coming back to her so vividly, it was like she was watching a movie. “I remember looking in the mirror and for the first time in a long time, I felt happy,” Betty opened her eyes to look at him, “and it’s going to sound so cliche but it was because of you, because of our silly truth-or-dare date. I felt like I had been looking for love for so long and going on that date with you… it was like the wool was pulled off my eyes and there you were.” 

 

Jughead felt a lump start to form in his throat when he heard her say it,  _ looking for love… and there you were.  _ All the cells in his body were screaming for him to go to her but he had been waiting so long for her to tell him the truth that he didn’t want to stop her now. 

 

“The more I have thought about it the last few weeks the more I have realized that it was the smell of copper that made all the hair on my body stand to attention, not the faint scrubbing sound I heard. However, it was the scrubbing sound, the sound of the rough side of a sponge moving forcefully across wooden boards, that made me walk further into my house.” Betty closed her eyes again, she wanted to get all of the details right. “As soon as I saw the lamp cord on the floor, I knew something was terribly wrong. There was a lamp turned over on its side and right next to it was my mother and she was... “ Betty’s hand flew up to her mouth as bile began to rise in the back of her throat. She hadn’t purposely thought this much about that night in a long time. 

 

Jughead went to her then, gently putting his hands on her shoulders. “She was what Betty? What was your mom doing?” 

 

Betty pulled away from him shaking her head, she couldn’t do this, she couldn’t say this part out loud. She turned around, aiming for the door. She wasn’t sure where she would go but with the walls feeling like they were closing in on her, she definitely couldn’t stay in this hotel room. 

 

It took Jughead a moment to realize Betty was going for the door and a combination of panic and anger came over him. He reached out and caught her arm. 

 

“Hey- Betty, c’mon you can tell me,” he pleaded.

 

She tried to pull out of his grip. “No Jug I can’t- let go of me.” 

 

Betty’s heart was pounding in her chest and she felt like she couldn’t breathe as she gripped her chest with her free hand. 

 

Jughead could tell that the fear of saying what happened next was causing her to panic, but he couldn’t let her leave. He pulled on her arm again gently and she finally turned around. He cupped her face gently and tilted her chin up so that she was looking up at him, a steady stream of tears still trailing down her face. 

 

“Betty whatever it is, you can tell me. There is nothing you could say that is going to make me leave you- we’re in this together remember?” 

 

Betty closed her eyes and nodded, breathing in deeply and then exhaling. 

 

“My brother murdered someone and I helped them cover it up,” Betty said hoarsely, not opening her eyes. She couldn’t bear to witness whatever look was on his face in that moment. 

 

Jughead’s mind was whirling, she had said it so quietly he wasn’t sure she had actually said it at all. It wasn’t a secret to him that since they started dating, Betty always carried this deep dark weight around on her shoulders and that it was slowly crippling her. It was in the way that she would “disappear” when she was sitting right there in front of him or when she jumped every once in a while when he surprised her; but she never wanted to talk about it and up until yesterday, that would have been something he wouldn’t have questioned. But now? Now that he knew he was in love with her? All he wanted to do was protect her and somehow, someway he was going to help lighten this burden for her. 

 

“Betty look at me,” Jughead said softly. 

 

Betty willed her eyes to open, she expected to see a look of disgust on Jughead’s face but all she found was warmth and understanding. It instantly made her heart rate slow down. 

 

“I am not going to let anyone hurt you, do you understand me?” he said gruffly. 

 

Betty nodded, she believed him. She needed to believe him. “Okay,” she whispered. 

 

“Okay,” he agreed, pulling her into his arms. He had a thousand questions that he was desperate to know the answer to but for now, he knew the truth and all he wanted to do was protect her and make her feel safe. 

 

Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead’s midsection and pressed her tear stained face into the crook of his neck, his scent filling her nostrils and instantly calming her. Ever since Chic murdered the Shady man, she had felt so unsteady, like her life was slowly falling apart, but with Jughead’s arms wrapped firmly around her in that instant, she finally felt safe. She knew with him no matter what happened, he would be there, too. He would protect her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> Phew- ok so Jughead's baggage is out in the open and now Betty's baggage is out in the open. I know this fic is angsty, I really wanted to write more fluff than angst into this fic but who am I kidding? Lol. What I am hoping for is that I am mixing in enough fluff with these two falling in love and leaning on each other that it is a little more bearable than my other fics. Yay or nay?! 
> 
> As always, thank you SO much for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed this update. Looking forward to reading your thoughts!! 
> 
> P&B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	10. Perfectly Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta @bugggghead for looking this over for me! 
> 
> Warning: SMUT at the beginning of the chapter.

_ The only thing Betty could feel before she opened her eyes was freezing cold, to the point where she felt numb in her bones. The feeling of fear and dread coursed through her body and she wiggled her fingers, hoping that whatever she felt beneath her fingertips would give her some indication as to where she was. At first, she felt something cold and fluffy that she assumed was snow. Once it melted under her fingers, she felt dirt, gravel and some twigs.  _

 

_ Where the hell am I? She wondered. Only one way to find out.  _

 

_ Betty opened her eyes and was confused when she saw trees. The sky was pitch black and there were thick snowflakes falling steadily on and around her. Carefully, she sat up and looked around to discover that she was laying in a graveyard in the woods. It was eerily quiet, the soft echoes of nature reverberating off the cool stones situated in the grass. Everything was coated in a thick layer of pure white snow, a stark contrast to the darkness enveloping the area.  _

 

_ How did I get here?  _

 

_ Slowly she got to her feet, rubbing her bare arms in a feeble attempt to get some warmth back into them. Her teeth chattered as she looked wearily at her surroundings. The eerie silence was broken when she heard a strangled moan come from just a few feet away. Even though everything inside her was screaming at her to go in the other direction, she walked towards the noise.  _

 

_ “Hello?” she called. “Is someone out there?”  _

 

_ She heard the groan again as she gravitated towards the sound, fear clawing at her throat. As she got closer to an unmarked tombstone, she saw a pair of legs on the ground poking out behind it. Her body was convulsing she was shaking so hard, but she wasn’t 100% sure if it was from the cold or the level of consternation she felt at that present moment.  _

 

_ As she walked around the gravestone, her hand flew to her mouth as she realized she recognized the legs.  _

 

_ “Jughead!” Betty screamed as she knelt beside him.  _

 

_ Jughead lay still, not breathing on the ground, his body lacerated with several slashes like someone had gone after him with a knife.  _

 

_ “Jughead!” she screamed again, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.  _

 

_ But he didn’t answer.  _

 

_ “Oh god,” Betty wailed. She put her head in her hands and violently wept.  _

 

_ “Betty…” a sing-song voice called.  _

 

_ Betty’s head snapped up and she shrieked when she saw Chic standing in front of her. He too was covered in blood, but his clothes weren’t drenched like Jughead’s. It was splattered across him, like someone had taken a paint brush and  sprayed dark red paint all over him. When her eyes caught the knife he was holding, she realized that it must’ve been Chic who brutally murdered Jughead in a slashing rage.  _

 

_ Chic stepped closer to him, once again every cell in her body was screaming at her to run but she wasn’t going to leave Jughead’s body behind.  _

 

_ Chic chuckled menacingly, giving her a wide demonic smile.  _

 

_ “You should’ve gotten rid of me when you had the chance, little sister.”  _

 

_ Before Betty could react, Chic lunged at her, his knife coming high the air as he prepared to slash her with his already blood stained knife.  The air caught in her throat as a blood-curdling scream tried to rip it’s way out of her.  _

 

_ “BETTY!!!”  _

 

***

 

Betty’s eyes flung open to find Jughead leaning over her. He was gripping both of her shoulders and shaking her, concern etched into his features. Betty abruptly sat up, looking wildly around the room to make sure that she was no longer in the haunted graveyard and that he was alive and unharmed.

 

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” he cooed softly. “You’re safe.” 

 

“Oh thank god,” she whispered in relief, throwing her arms around his neck. 

 

Jughead tightened his arms around her in an effort to reassure her that her nightmare was, in fact, actually over. Waking up to Betty screaming and thrashing next to him was easily the most terrifying thing Jughead had been through in his young adult life, Penny’s assault included. He figured her nightmare had been triggered by the stress of seeing her brother and having to tell him her haunting tale of how she helped her mother cover up a murder he committed. Now she clung to him like her life depended on it and he shuddered to think what horrific things she had dreamt about that caused her to scream in her sleep. 

 

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m right here babe, you’re safe.” 

 

Betty pressed her tear-stained face into his neck and took a deep, steadying breath, his scent filling her nostrils and instantly calming her. The relief she felt that he was there with her, his strong arms caging her in and protecting her, was palpable. She lowered her hands and ran them under the back of his shirt, desperate to feel his soft skin under her fingertips. Jughead shivered involuntarily as soon as her delicate fingers touched his back. 

 

Betty looked up at him then with a desperate, hungry look in her eyes that made his heart race. 

 

“I need to feel you Juggie,” she said, lifting the hem of his t-shirt. “All of you.” 

 

He swallowed hard and nodded, letting her pull his shirt up over his head. Jughead stood and gently grabbed her hand, pulling her to stand as well. Tentatively, she ran her hands lightly from the tops of his shoulders and down his chest to his navel. Jughead closed his eyes from the contact, relishing the feeling of her running her hands all over his body. When her hands traveled to his back and she moved her body closer to his, he opened his eyes and pulled her in for a bruising kiss. He never had someone look at him before the way Betty was looking at him now- like she couldn’t live without him. It woke something deep inside of him that he didn’t even know existed and it drove him to show her how much she meant to him. 

 

Betty kissed him back with just as much fervor, opening her mouth to grant his tongue access. They exchanged sloppy wet kisses, their tongues twisting and teasing the other. Jughead broke the kiss to make his way down the side of her neck, making her moan softly each time his tongue flicked over her oversensitized skin. 

 

“Clothes off,” she whimpered already pushing down his pajama pants. Jughead yanked her tank top over her head, causing the bun she had her hair in come out. Her stared at her for a moment, his eyes drinking her in. Her hair was in soft messy waves from her bun and it fell down over her bare breasts. Betty wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing their chests together and resting her face in the crook of his neck. She loved these intimate moments between them where they were skin to skin, they were the moments she felt the safest. 

 

Jughead held her tightly to him, their hearts beating together as his thumb stroked the back of her neck. From the moment they started dating, it was clear that Betty struggled with stress and anxiety but it was also clear to him that he had the power to calm her down and that simple fact gave him a feeling of pride that he wasn’t used to. He placed a kiss on top of her head and then released her. 

 

“You are so beautiful,” he said before gently pushing her back down on the bed. 

 

Once Betty was laying on the mattress, Jughead gave her a mischievous smirk as he grabbed her cotton sleep shorts and tugged them off. Betty quickly sat up just enough to take his hand and pull him down on top of he. She wanted him to cover her body with his own and feel the full weight of him on top of her. It was assurance that he was there with her, safe and sound and he wasn’t going anywhere. 

 

“Kiss me Jug,” she pleaded, a stray tear escaping her eye. 

 

Jughead brought his hand up and used the pad of his thumb to wipe the tear away before covering her mouth with his own. Betty ran her hands up his back again, flattening them over his shoulder blades, pressing him impossibly closer to her. 

 

Jughead could tell that whatever Betty had dreamt about was still making her anxious and he was determined to make her forget all about it. He pushed himself up with the balls of his hands and began to kiss a trail starting at her jaw and making his way south. Betty didn’t want him to move from his previous position on top of her but each kiss he planted on her overheated skin sent electric currents of pleasure through her body stopping her ability to think altogether. 

 

When his knees hit the edge of the bed, he stood up and put his hands behind the backs of Betty’s knees and pulled her to the edge of the mattress. Quickly, he grabbed a pillow and dropped it on the ground before kneeling on it. Betty lifted her head to see what he was doing and her body practically convulsed with anticipation. 

 

“I’m going to make you feel so good baby,” he promised. 

 

Jughead put his hands on Betty’s inner thighs, pushing her legs farther apart and then licked the length of her arousal like it was a melting popsicle on a hot summer’s day. 

 

Betty squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh god,” she moaned loudly. 

 

Jughead flicked his tongue over her sensitive bundle of nerves, left to right and the up and down causing Betty’s hips to involuntarily buck a few times. Betty was panting, her pelvic muscle already contracting despite the fact that he had barely begun the sensual assault with his tongue. Betty laced her fingers into his raven black hair, holding his head in place as he flattened his tongue against her clit before making circles with it. Her hips jerked up and down as she moved against his tongue, desperate for the familiar release she was just on the cusp of getting to. Jughead slipped two fingers into her and curled them up causing her to cry out. He only had to pump them in and out of her a few times before she felt the tension building at the apex of her thighs finally snap and release. He kept pressure on her as her orgasm coursed through her causing her toes to curl reflexively. 

 

Betty draped her arm over her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, willing her heartbeat to slow down. Jughead laid down next to her on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. 

 

He chuckled as he took his pointer finger and lightly traced a curvy line down her chest to her stomach causing her body to shake. Out of all the women he had slept with, Betty’s body responded to him the most. Sex with her was always mind blowing, each time more intense than the last, raising their level of intimacy a little bit further every single time. The memory of the first time they hooked up flitted through his mind. The sexual tension that had been radiating off Betty’s body was so thick you could cut it with a knife and he felt helpless to stop himself from touching her. He had no idea that getting each other off with just their hands could ever feel so good. Sure, he had fingered plenty of girls but he never had anyone slip their hands into his pants and jerk him off like she did. The intimate moments they shared were nothing like he had ever felt- always passionate and always intense. 

 

Betty lifted her arm once her breathing evened out and chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eyes. He was staring at her, a satisfied smirk on his face. 

 

“How was that?” he asked. “Mind blowing?” 

 

She giggled and rolled her eyes. “It was okay. A 7 out of 10 at best,” she teased as she sat up and pushed his shoulders so that he was on his back and she was straddling him. 

 

Jughead ran his hands up her thighs before settling them on her hips. “Oh yeah?” 

 

Betty bit her bottom lip and nodded playfully before running her slick wet folds up and down his erection. 

 

“Jesus, Betts are you trying to kill me?” Jughead rasped, tightening his grip on her. 

 

Betty put her hands on either side of his head and leaned down, keeping her arousal pressed against his. 

 

“Maybe,” she whispered in his ear right before lifting slightly and sliding him into her. 

 

Betty sat up, placing her hands on his chest for balance as she sank farther down onto him, causing Jughead to groan low in his throat. She rose and a fell a few times, her head lolling back every time she went down on him from the feeling of him filling her. Jughead sat up, hooking one of his forearms around the small of her back and using the other to help himself upright. Betty placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him, moaning into his mouth as he thrust upwards causing her to see stars. 

 

They rocked their hips together at a quick unmeasured pace neither of them being able to get over the effect of being nose to nose as they pleased the other. Jughead felt the familiar telltale sign that Betty was close when her slick hot walls began to tighten around him causing him to get closer to his own release. Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing them chest to chest as she continued to ride him at a relentless pace. 

 

“Betts, I’m-” Jughead stuttered as he pressed his face into her neck. 

 

Betty kept up with her pace, her thighs were burning and she was covered in a thin layer of sweat but she didn’t care. She loved being with him like this, impossibly close and completely lost in each other. He was the only person in her life that had ever made her feel this way and even when they weren’t in the throes of passion, she loved how much effort he put into caring for her and making her feel safe. 

 

They both reached the brink at the same time and Jughead wrapped his other arm around her, tightening his hold on her as they road out their climaxes. They stayed like that for a few minutes, feeling each other’s racing heartbeats through their chests as they both savored the post coital bliss that was emanating from their bodies. 

 

Betty was the first to pull away, lightly tracing his cheeks with her finger. She smiled at him, tears running down her cheeks. Jughead was surprised to see her crying but he didn’t see sadness or fear in her eyes… he saw something else. 

 

“What is it?” he whispered. 

 

“I love you,” she whispered back. 

 

Jughead didn’t say anything at first, partly because his mind was racing and partly because what was about to come out of his mouth was so important to him and he wanted it to be right. Gently, he lifted her off of him and they both scooted to the edge of the bed. Betty was anxious for his response, she knew deep down that there was a possibility that he might not say it back. 

 

Jughead firmly cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes. “Elizabeth Cooper, I love you more than my whole life,” he choked out as a stray tear fell down his cheek. 

 

Betty let out a breathy chuckle, she was crying too but they were happy tears, just like his. The way he was looking at her made her heart race and took her breath away all at the same time but she didn’t care because she had never been happier in her whole life than she was right in that moment. With him.

  
  


***

 

The next day, they were driving along the backroads of upstate New York on their way back to school. They ended up sleeping in until the last minute, leaving them only 15 minutes to shower, change, and pack their things. When they left their room and headed for the lobby to check out, Jughead kept his fingers firmly laced into hers, keeping an eye out for Chic as they crossed the shiny linoleum floor to the hostess desk. Betty had been tense the whole time, she too looked over her shoulder for any sign of Chic or worse - her mother. 

 

Betty had been surprised that her mother hadn’t contacted her. She hoped it was a sign that Chic hadn’t said anything to her afterall. 

 

They were about an hour into their car ride home, Betty was driving and Jughead was in the passenger seat. He had let her drive because he wanted to nap on the way home but it never happened. Once they got out on to the road, he helped Betty set up her music and then settled into his corner of the cab of the truck for his nap. Just as he was about to close his eyes, Betty started singing along to Selena Gomez’s “Back to You” and he felt his heart stop. 

 

_ You could break my heart in two _

_ But when it heals, it beats for you _

_ I know it's forward, but it's true _

_ I wanna hold you when I'm not supposed to _

_ When I'm lying close to someone else _

_ You're stuck in my head and I can't get you out of it _

_ If I could do it all again _

_ I know I'd go back to you _

 

He turned his head, focusing on her, trying to remember if he had heard her sing before now but he knew that he hadn’t. It was such a simple thing, listening to her absentmindedly sing along with the music, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel and her head bobbing along with the beat. It made his heart soar, filling his chest with happiness and love for the incredible woman sitting next to him that he thought it might burst like an overfilled balloon. Betty must’ve sensed him looking at her because she glanced at him briefly, the color of watermelon staining her cheeks. 

 

“What?” she asked sheepishly. 

 

“Nothing,” he said simply. “I just love you.” 

 

Betty reached over and laced her fingers into his and brought the back of his hand to her lips as she planted a soft kiss on his skin. 

 

“I love you too, Jug.” 

 

Jughead leaned over and kissed her cheek, making the blush on her cheeks deepen before he settled back into his seat and fell asleep. 

  
  


***

It had been about two hours since Jughead fell asleep. Betty looked over at him and smiled affectionately, secretly envying his ability to sleep anywhere. 

 

She sighed knowing full well that she was so gone for the man resting peacefully not even two feet away from her. It was strange to her to think that they had so much going on in their lives separately, things that would normally overwhelm her and break her down and yet they were so happy. They were helping each other with their individual baggage, but when they were together they were always smiling and making each other laugh. 

 

Betty tried to remember the first time she knew she had feelings for Jughead. He had always taken so much pride in teasing her and challenging her in class and if it had been anyone else, she might have hated him for it. But there was something about the way his eyes sparkled when she huffed from frustration or the smirk he gave her everytime she promptly told him off. Her thoughts traveled to the night she was dared by Cheryl to go talk to him at McNally’s before they went on their first date. Normally, she wouldn’t play into Cheryl’s antics like that but there was something telling her to go talk to Jughead and make him laugh. Had she liked him before that night? Betty knew that she was definitely attracted to him but she never let herself wonder if they could be something more because of his well-known fuck boy status on campus. 

 

Betty trapped her lower lip between her teeth trying to piece her thoughts together. She had fallen so easily for him and so hard that it was no wonder she couldn’t pinpoint the “when”. After their first date, she definitely knew she was developing a crush on him but it wasn’t until their second date that she realized that she had fallen for him. He was perfectly wrong for her, even the stars could see that, but the universe had sent him to her anyways. 

 

Betty looked over at Jughead one more time and smiled, reciting the lines of the poem he had stolen in her mind: 

 

_ I never expected it to be you, you _

_ know? But it is you. It’s all you. And _

_ now there’s no looking back.  _

 

Just then her cell phone rang, making her jump and breaking her out of her thoughts. She looked at the screen, quickly silencing it before the noise woke Jughead up and saw Veronica’s name flashing across the screen. 

 

“Hello?” she asked, keeping her voice low. 

 

_ “Oh thank god! Finally Betty! Where have you been?!”  _ Veronica screeched through the phone. 

 

“Nice to talk to you too V,” Betty said sighing. “Hold on.”

 

Betty pulled into a gas station, she didn’t want to talk on the phone while she was driving and she needed to use the restroom. Jughead had woken up anyways, despite her best efforts to stay quiet. She put the car in park and turned the car off, mouthing bathroom to Jughead who nodded sleepily at her as she handed him the keys. 

 

“Who is that?” Jughead mouthed to her, concern etched into his eyes. 

 

“Veronica,” she mouthed back before opening the car door. 

 

_ “Cut the crap Betty, I’ve been seriously worried about you,” _ Veronica snapped. 

 

“Calm down. Didn’t you see my note? I went on a trip with Jughead for a few days. He needed my help with something.” 

 

Betty got out of the car and made her way across the parking lot to the bathrooms. 

 

_ “What could he possibly need your help with on such short notice?” _

 

“It’s personal V, I can’t talk to you about it.” 

 

_ “Oh but Kevin gets to know?”  _ Veronica said, sounding hurt. 

 

Betty silently cursed Kevin before responding, “All I can tell you is that it’s complicated. The reason I didn’t tell you what was going on Ronnie isn’t personal it’s just... not any of your business.” 

 

_ “Fine but I demand that you come out to McNally’s tonight! Archie is playing there and you haven’t been to one of his shows in forever,”  _ Veronica whined. 

 

“Ok,” Betty conceded. “Yeah we’ll be there V.” 

 

_ “We?” _ Veronica asked. 

 

Betty rolled her eyes. “Yes, ‘we’ as in Jughead and I? As in my boyfriend?” 

 

_ “I didn’t realize you two had gotten so serious,” _ Veronica said after a moment. 

 

“Don’t be so obtuse Veronica. We’ll see you later tonight,” Betty said curtly and then hung up on her. 

 

After she went to the bathroom and washed her hands, she walked back out to the truck to find Jughead in the driver’s seat writing in his notebook. He smiled at her when she climbed in and handed her a water bottle, putting his notebook back in his jacket pocket. 

 

“Thanks,” she said appreciatively. 

 

“Everything ok?” Jughead asked wearily. 

 

“Yeah, that was just Veronica calling to see where I was. She asked me to come see Archie play tonight at McNally’s and I told her we’d be there. I hope that’s okay.” 

 

Jughead tried to keep his face neutral as his hatred for his girlfriend’s best friend bubbled up in his chest. 

 

“Yeah, of course that’s okay. Can we invite Sweet Pea and Joaquin? I feel like I haven’t seen them in forever.” 

 

Betty nodded. “Of course, I’ll text Kev now and make sure he invites them.” 

 

They drove in silence for about 10 minutes, both lost in their own independent thoughts. Jughead’s mind was still on Veronica and his general distaste for her but he didn’t want to start drama between the two girls so he knew he was going to have to find a way to ignore her. Plus, after last night, what Veronica had said to him a few weeks ago didn’t hold any weight any more. Betty had made it perfectly clear last night how much she needed him and that he was, in fact, good enough for her. 

 

“Can I ask you something?” 

 

Jughead turned to look at her for a quick second before returning his eyes to the road. 

 

“Anything.” 

 

Betty rolled her lower lip between her teeth and then ran her tongue over the teeth marks she had left. She had been thinking about this question for a long time but hadn’t worked up the courage to ask him. 

 

“Did you take the poem that I had on my mirror a while back?” she asked quietly. 

 

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “I may have.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

Jughead sighed, she couldn’t have better timing considering he just convinced himself that he wasn’t going to start drama between Betty and her friends. 

 

“You want the truth?” he asked. 

 

“Of course I do,” Betty replied, laughing lightly. 

 

“Honestly Betts, I read that poem right after we decided we were going to make ‘us’ a thing. I was still struggling with that fact that someone like you wanted to be with someone like me. I didn’t feel worthy of you and truthfully, sometimes I still don’t. I was in your room and I read that poem and the date you wrote on it made me realize that the poem was about me. I took it so that every time I felt like I didn’t deserve you, I would read that poem and remind myself that you want me just as much as I want you,” he finished, sighing heavily. 

 

Betty felt tears prick the backs of her eyes and she reached over and gently took his hand into both of hers. 

 

“I will always want you Jughead,” Betty said quietly, “and I’d like to think that we are both worthy of each other.” 

 

Jughead felt a lump form is throat at her words. Once again she had him wondering how he had managed so long without her. He brought the back of her hand to his lips, mirroring the action she had done earlier in the car ride. 

 

“Thank you,” he said softly, before pressing his lips to her smooth skin and then lacing their finger together. 

 

***

 

Later that night, Betty and Kevin were standing at the bar at McNally’s, waiting for their drinks. As soon as they got there, Betty had sent Jughead off to spend time with Sweet Pea and Joaquin and Kevin had done the same since neither of them had really seen Sweet Pea lately. Betty was leaning with her elbows back on the bar as she watched the three of them stand around a high table, deep in conversation. 

 

“So how was the trip?” Kevin asked. 

 

“It was ok,” Betty replied shrugging. “Good and bad I guess you could say.” 

 

“Anything eventful happen?” Kevin asked. 

 

Images of Chic surprising her and Betty sobbing in Jughead’s arms flitted through her mind. She cleared her throat and then turned to face the bar and moved closer to Kevin. 

 

“I might have said I love you,” Betty said. 

 

Kevin’s eyes went wide. “You what?!” 

 

Betty smiled and nodded her head quickly. “I did. I said it.” 

 

“What did he say?” Kevin asked, hanging on her every word. 

 

“He said it back!” 

 

“No way!” Kevin exclaimed. “Jughead Jones said ‘I love you’? Mr. ‘I’m weird. I’m a weirdo’?”

 

Betty nodded excitedly and chanced a look over her shoulder at him. She caught Jughead staring at her and he winked at her playfully causing her to blush crimson. 

 

Kevin laughed. “Ooo girl you’ve got it so bad,” he teased. 

 

“I really do. I didn’t think it was humanly possible to feel so strongly for someone so fast.” 

 

She watched as Kevin looked over his own shoulder at Joaquin,.“Oh Cooper, I know exactly what you mean.” 

 

Betty nudged him with her shoulder. “Now who’s got it bad?” she asked arching an eyebrow at him. 

 

Kevin rolled his eyes at her. “Well, at least now that you’re back, Veronica can finally stop pestering me with endless questions.” 

 

Betty sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ugh, I just wish she would give it a rest. It’s like she just completely ignores the fact that Jughead and I care about each other.” 

 

“Well to be fair, you’ve barely said anything to her about him.” 

 

“Well maybe that’s because she’s made it clear from the start that she doesn’t like my boyfriend,” Betty said defensively. 

 

“I’m just putting it out there Betty, that’s all,” Kevin said, putting his hands up in surrender. 

 

Just then they heard a tapping sound on the microphone in the corner and a hush fell over the bar. Sitting on a stool on stage was Archie and his guitar with his bandmates behind him. 

 

“Hey everyone. What’s up? I’m Archie Andrews and I’ll be singing a few songs for you tonight.” 

 

“Woo! Go Archie!” Betty whooped from her spot at the bar. 

 

Archie blushed a little, showing off his all american boy smile. “Thank you. Alright we’re going to start with a Maroon 5 cover so here we go.” 

 

As soon as the beat started, people in the audience began to dance and sing along to the familiar beat. Jughead was watching Betty sway to the beat from where he was standing with his friends. In the past, when he saw her dance, he just admired her from afar. He always thought she had a nice body but he never had the courage to go over and ask her to dance because he always thought she’d say no. Plus, dancing was totally out of character for him. 

 

_ I don't wanna be needing your love _

_ I just wanna be deep in your love _

_ And it's killing me when you're away _

_ Ooh, baby, _

_ 'Cause I really don't care where you are _

_ I just wanna be there where you are _

_ And I gotta get one little taste _

 

Jughead crossed the floor, holding his hand out to Betty. She looked up at him surprised but took his hand anyways. Jughead raised Betty’s hand and spun her in a full circle before pulling her against him. Her back was to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her making her laugh out loud. Jughead was well aware that there were several sets of eyes on them as they swayed along to the music but he didn’t care. All he cared about was the giggle he felt reverberate in her chest and the breathtaking smile Betty gave him afterward as she twisted her neck to look at him. He felt his heart skip a beat as she reached up behind her and pulled his face down for a kiss.  

 

He continued to hold her like that, the two of them swaying to the music as Archie played and for the life of him he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so happy. When Archie and his band reached the halfway point, Archie signaled the DJ to play music over the speakers while they took a break. Jughead kissed Betty on the cheek before releasing her and then looked up to see Veronica staring at them making him sigh heavily. 

 

“I think we have an audience,” he said nonchalantly. 

 

Betty looked at him confused and then followed Jughead’s line of sight until she found what he was looking at. She groaned internally, she figured she would need to have this conversation with Veronica sooner or later. Now seemed as good a time as any.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Betty said, giving Jughead’s hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go. 

 

Although she knew Kevin was on her side, he did make a fair point earlier. The only time that Betty had talked to Veronica about Jughead was the night before she went to the club with Cheryl. Veronica had been her best friend for so long and she didn’t like all the tension that they had built around the subject of Jughead being her boyfriend. Yes, Jughead had an indisputable reputation of being a fuck boy on campus but he was a good man. Not to mention he was hers now and that small detail alone meant the world to her. She just had to help Veronica see it that way. 

 

“Hey Ron,” Betty said. 

 

“Hey B, glad you could make it.” Veronica said. 

 

“Can we talk for a few minutes?” 

 

Veronica nodded, smiling at her. “I’d like that.” 

 

The two girls walked over to a high top table in front of the large front windows of the bar where it was quieter. 

 

“So listen V, Jughead and I are a thing now,” she started to say, wringing her hands together. “I know you had your reservations about him before but he really means a lot to me. So I am hoping that you’ll put whatever preconceived notions you have of him aside and try to get to know him because he’s not going anywhere.” 

 

Veronica stared at her for a long moment, not saying anything before sighing heavily. 

 

“Okay Betty, I’ll give him a chance,” Veronica acquiesced. “He seems to make you really happy. I watched the two of you over there during Archie’s set and I have to admit, it was really adorable.” 

 

Betty smiled and clapped her hands together. “Yay! Thank you V! This means so much to me, you have no idea.” 

 

Betty pulled Veronica in for a tight hug, making Veronica laugh in surprise. 

 

“You’re welcome B. I don’t think I could’ve taken the tension and silence between us much longer,” Veronica admitted. 

 

“I do need one favor though,” Betty said, holding her friend at arms length. 

 

“Name it.” 

 

“I need you to go over and apologize to Jughead.” 

 

Veronica tilted her head. “For what?” 

 

“For telling him that he’d never be good enough for me.” Betty said quietly. 

 

Veronica eyes went wide as she registered what Betty was talking about. 

 

“How did you-” Veronica began to ask. 

 

Betty put a hand up silencing her. “I heard you while I was in the bathroom that day V. I’ve been waiting for Jughead to tell me on his own but he seems pretty determined not to start any drama between us. I understand you were trying to protect me but you were out of line and I’d really appreciate it if  _ as my best friend _ , you would go over there and apologize to him and clear the air.” 

 

Veronica sighed, hanging her head in defeat. “Okay B, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll go over and talk to him now.” 

 

Jughead had been patiently watching the girls’ interaction. It looked like it started off good, at least he thought it did from the hug they shared, but then the atmosphere between them changed. Betty’s body language became defensive as a shocked look spread across Veronica features. Then before he knew it, Veronica was walking away and heading straight for him. 

 

“Jughead,” Veronica said, crossing her arms and cocking one eyebrow at him. 

 

“Veronica,” Jughead replied, mirroring her actions. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> Oh goodness- I am SO sorry it took me this long to update. My life got extremely busy and unfortunately, this fic got away from me. I am hoping to get back on a weekly updating schedule from here on out. 
> 
> As always, I hoped you enjoyed it and I look forward to reading your thoughts. 
> 
> P&B,
> 
> -Peyton


	11. The Very First Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey fam!!! As promised here is chapter 11!!! :D
> 
> Warning: SMUT in this chapter.
> 
> **The poetry written in this chapter is by Beau Taplin NOT me. You all know how I love me some Beau Taplin ;)

_I can see you're scared of your emotions_

_I can see you're hoping not hopeless_

_So why can't you show me? Why can't you show me?_

_I can see you're looking for distractions_

_I can see you're tired of the acting_

_So why can't you show me?_

_Who are you in the dark?_

_Show me the scary parts_

_Who are you when it's 3 AM and you're all alone_

_And L.A. doesn't feel like home?_

 

_Who are you in the dark?_

 

_“In the Dark” by Camila Cabello_

 

* * *

 

 

Jughead held the door open for Veronica as they walked out of McNally’s and onto the sidewalk. Even though winter was finally giving way to spring in their college town, it was still pretty cold outside. He saw Veronica shiver and he immediately took off his leather jacket and hung it around her shoulders.

 

“Oh, thanks,” Veronica said, clearly surprised by his kind gesture.

 

“So you wanted to talk?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, so apparently Betty heard me that day we were in her room. When I told you that you weren’t good enough for her.”

 

Jughead froze. “What?”

 

Veronica nodded. “It would make sense why she has been so mad at me but she said she was waiting for you to say something but you never did. So, thanks for that I guess.”

 

“Veronica, I know you don’t like me but I never wanted drama between you and Betty.”

 

“I know,” Veronica conceded. “I realize that now and I’m sorry.”

 

There was a pause between them as they both looked across the street and people watched for a few moments.

 

“I want you to know that I really love Betty,” Jughead finally said, breaking the silence. “I know I have a reputation, a well-deserved one. I didn’t treat girls I hooked up with very well but Betty was the first girl I’ve met in a really long time that actually pushed backed when I tried to push her away. She just swooped in and knocked down all the walls I had spent my entire life building and created this safe space where she just loves me unconditionally.”

 

Veronica laughed. “Yeah, Betty tends to have that effect on people.”

 

Jughead looked at Veronica, who was still staring aimlessly across the street, he had a feeling there was more to that story.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked gently, hopefully encouraging Veronica to continue.

 

Veronica sighed heavily. “Growing up, I was a New York City socialite with a platinum credit card and a million dollar trust fund. I was the classic rich bitch and I took absolutely everything for granted - at least until my father got arrested.”

 

Jughead looked at her incredulously. “Seriously?”

 

Veronica laughed softly. “Seriously.”

 

“When did that happen?” Jughead asked.

 

“Toward the end of my senior year in high school.”

 

Jughead’s mind was spinning, never in a million years would he have thought he’d have something in common with Veronica Lodge.

 

“I used to think Daddy was the best man on the planet. I worshipped him, even after the arrest. I was his fiercest protector and I would defend him to anyone and everyone no matter the cost. It wasn’t until my dad arranged to have my mom killed that everything came out of the woodwork. It turned out that my dad had gotten involved with some sketchy people in a mob and owed them a shit ton of money but when he got arrested, everything got taken away from us. So, he figured if my Mom was dead, he could at least cash out on her life insurance policy and pay off his debt that way,” Veronica said, her voice growing quiet towards the end.

 

“Jesus, Veronica I’m so sorry. That’s fucked up,” Jughead said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

Veronica nodded and sighed. “It really is but luckily, my dad wasn’t successful. So anyway, I showed up at college, with no friends, no money. My family was in shambles and in walks my freshman roommate Betty Cooper.”

 

Jughead laughed. He could imagine Betty walking through the door with her light pink cardigan, bouncing ponytail, and an honest to god smile.

 

“After we set up our room and her Mom had finally left, Betty asked me if I was okay because she noticed neither of my parents had come to help me move in. She was just so nice to me, even though she didn’t know all the horrible things that happened in my life and I just burst into tears like full-on, ugly crying tears,” she said, laughing at the memory. “So you know what Betty did? She took my hand, had me sit down, gave me a few tissues, and pulled a Tupperware out of her suitcase full of her famous chocolate chip cookies.”

 

Jughead threw his head back and laughed. “She did not!”

 

“Yup, she did,” Veronica said, laughing with him. “She sat down next to me, offered me a cookie and told me that even though we were complete strangers, I could tell her what was wrong if I wanted to. It was weird like even though Betty and I had just met I had this gut feeling that we were meant to be best friends, like it was our destiny.”

 

“Oh, I know the feeling,” he said, really more to himself than Veronica.

 

“So anyway, Jughead I am really sorry for what I said to you that day in Betty’s bedroom. I don’t know what came over me. Betty is just so important to me and I guess I was just worried that you would hurt her. But ultimately, you were right. She is a lot stronger than I give her credit for and from the looks of it you make her really happy.”

 

“Thank you, Veronica. I really appreciate that and I hope we can start over and get to know each other.”

 

“I’d really like that,” Veronica said, smiling at him.

 

“So now that we’re friends,” Jughead said. “Can I ask you to do favors for me?”

 

“Sure,” Veronica said, her curiosity piqued.

 

“I wrote this poem for Betty,” he said, pulling a piece of paper out of his jeans pocket. “I was wondering if you could put it on Betty’s mirror in her bedroom when she’s not there.”

 

Veronica took it from him and read it over before sticking it into her clutch. “Consider it done.”

 

Jughead gave her a nod. “Awesome. Alright, let’s get back inside.”

 

Veronica returned his leather jacket and he shrugged it back on before holding open the door for her.

 

“You know, if it makes you feel any better, my dad is in jail too,” he said.

 

Veronica turned to him as she stepped back into the bar. “No shit? Well, Jones, it looks like we have more in common than I thought.”

 

***

 

Betty walked into her apartment, dropping her keys on the table as she sifted through the mail she had just picked up. She had spent the night at Jughead’s because the thought of not falling asleep safely in his arms or waking up to his crooked morning smile and messy bedhead made her chest ache. Luckily, he didn’t seem to mind.

 

He had an early shift at the shop before he went to class and although she had plans to sleep in a little, he had woken her up for a hot morning romp. Betty blushed as the image of Jughead leaving a trail of wet kisses starting at her ear all the way down to her aching center flashed through her mind.

 

Betty had never really considered herself a sexual person. Sure, she had hooked up with guys she met and lost her virginity in high school but she had never felt burning desire to jump someone until she met Jughead. It only got worse after they started hooking up and now they both seemed to have this unbridled, insatiable lust for one another. She sent a silent thank you to whoever thought of creating birth control for women.

 

Betty walked back to her room, she had about two hours until her shift at the library started and she had a few things to catch up on since she had skipped a few classes when she went with Jughead to see his dad. Walking into her room, she set her bag down by her desk and booted up her laptop. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and texted Jughead letting him know that she was home before responding to a few texts from her friends. Spinning around in her desk chair, Betty paused when something caught her eye. She looked up, noticing there was a piece of paper tucked into the frame of her mirror.

 

Her heart started to hammer in her chest when she realized she recognized the handwriting and she got up slowly and moved closer so she could read it.

 

_Listen, I love you. It’s that clear, that_

_simple. And I know sometimes I can be_

_A disappointment, that I rarely know_

_what I want or think before I act,_

_but you should know that in half_

_a lifetime of spectacular messes, you_

_are the very first thing that’s felt right._

_~J. Jones_

 

Betty shook her head affectionately, smiling so hard it almost made her cheeks hurt. She loved how romantic Jughead could be sometimes and even better, he did it for no other reason than he wanted to. She took a picture of it and sent it to him.

 

 **Betty:** Who knew you were such an Ernest Hemingway?

 

His response was immediate.

 

 **Jughead:** Eh, I consider myself more an Oscar Wilde but whatever comparison works for you, babe ;)

 

 **Betty:** You are ridiculous. I love it Juggie  <3

 

 **Jughead:** I love you :)

 

Her heart fluttered in her chest, feeling so light that it threatened to break out of her chest and float away. However, before she could reply, she got an incoming phone call from an unknown number. She furrowed her brows, normally she didn’t pick up calls from unknown numbers but there was something familiar about it that made her answer anyway.

 

_“Hello, Betty? This is Sheriff Keller, how are you hun?”_

 

“F-fine, I’m fine. Is everything ok?” Betty asked, willing her now erratic heartbeat to slow.

 

_“Yes, everything’s fine. I’m sorry to bother you, but I need you to come home and come to the station to answers some questions for me.”_

 

The room began to spin as her chest started to tighten, the adrenaline pushing her anxiety and panic through her veins. She pushed her fingernails into the flesh of her palm in an effort to ground herself.

 

“Questions? What about?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

 

The Sheriff cleared his throat. _“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard from your mother about that car they pulled out of Sweetwater River? They’ve done forensics on it and they found a partial hand print on the outside of the car. I’ll explain more when you get here, but it was a 12 point match to your fingerprint record.”_

 

She pressed harder into her palm on her free hand. “O-okay. Yeah, I can come home. Does tomorrow morning work for you?”

 

_“Sure, that sounds great. Do you want me to call your mother as well?”_

 

“NO,” she yelled. Betty closed her eyes and sighed. “No, I can call her. Thanks, Sheriff Keller, I will see you tomorrow.”

 

White hot panic exploded in her chest as soon as she ended the call. Her chest continued to tighten as the walls appeared to be closing in. _This is it_ , she thought, she was going to get caught for disposing of the Shady man’s car and her mother would probably let Chic place the blame on her.

 

She heard the front door of the apartment open and close. “Betty? Are you home?” Veronica called.

 

But she couldn’t respond, the feeling in her chest constricting her, causing her breath to come out in short pants. Digging her fingers into her palms further, she hoped that the pain would cause her enough relief to save face in front of Veronica but there was no change. She struggled to breathe as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

 

Veronica walked into her doorway. “Hey, girl what’s-” Veronica froze, her eyes going wide at her friend’s panicked state. “Betty?” she said rushing to her side. “Betty what’s wrong? Breathe, girl c’mon you need to breathe.”

 

Betty was spiraling, her inability to calm herself down only caused her to panic more. She looked at Veronica, eyes wide with fear.

 

“Betty tell me what to do. I don’t know what to do to help you,” Veronica pleaded.

 

Betty squeezed her eyes shut. “Jughead,” she managed to get out. “I need Jughead.”

 

***

 

Jughead was under the hood of a 1990 Ford pickup truck when he heard the shop’s phone ring. He ignored it and continued working because he knew TallBoy was in the office catching up on paperwork. After getting the shit beat out of him by Penny, the two men agreed that he wasn’t allowed to work at the shop alone anymore.

 

“Hey Jug!” TallBoy yelled as he walked into the shop.

 

“Yeah?” he yelled back, not looking up from the shop.

 

“There’s a Veronica Lodge on the phone for you, she says it’s an emergency.”

 

Jughead dropped his tools, the wrench he’d been holding clanking loudly on the floor. He raced to the office, taking the phone from TallBoy.

 

“Veronica?” he asked, concern laced in his voice.

 

“Jughead, thank god. You need to come over right now, it’s Betty. Something’s wrong.”

 

“I’ll be right there,” he said, before slamming the phone down on the receiver and running out of the shop.

 

“Jug, wait!” TallBoy called, stopping him in his tracks.

 

“I have to go TallBoy, it’s Betty!”

 

TallBoy threw him a set of keys. “Take my Ninja out back, you’ll get there a lot quicker.”

 

Jughead raced through the streets on TallBoy’s neon green and black Kawasaki Ninja H2. It was a fast bike, and Jughead thanked whatever higher being that was listening that the streets weren’t covered in melting snow and ice that afternoon.

 

His mind was racing. What could have possibly happened between their last text and Veronica’s phone call? It couldn’t have been more than a half hour. Jughead reasoned that at the very least, Betty wasn’t hurt. He would hope if that was the case, Veronica would have taken Betty straight to the hospital. He pulled up in front of their apartment building and jumped off the bike, barely bothering with standing it on it's kickstand. Jughead threw open the door of their apartment building and raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he got to the apartment, he didn’t even bother knocking and went inside.

 

“Betty? Veronica?” he called as he strode towards Betty’s room.

 

“We’re in here!” Veronica called.

 

Jughead walked into Betty’s room and found her sitting in her desk chair with Veronica kneeling in front of her. To say Betty looked distraught was an absolute understatement. Her cheeks were flushed with a steady stream of tears flowing down them and she was panting like she couldn’t catch her breath. She looked up at him when he entered the room. Her eyes were wide with fear and he could see that her hands were clenched into fists.

 

Veronica stood. “I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t get her to calm down and she asked for you.”

 

Jughead walked over to them. “It’s okay. Can you go get me a brown paper bag and a first aid kit?”

 

Veronica nodded. “I’ll be right back,” she said before running out to the kitchen.

 

Jughead kneeled in front of Betty like Veronica had been doing. He knew Betty had had panic attacks before, she had told him as much, but he had never witnessed her having one. Now that he was witnessing it for the first time, he was absolutely terrified, but he pushed those feelings down.

 

“Hi love,” he said, softly. “I’m here now okay? It’s going to be okay.”

 

Betty nodded but she didn’t respond, her whole body was shaking. She was so relieved to see him, but it wasn’t enough to calm her down.

 

“Okay, first I’m going to need you to unclench your hands,” he said, placing his hands over her wrists turning and her hands upward. She let him turn them and he had to bite the inside of his cheek when he saw how badly she had made herself bleed by digging her fingernails into her palms. His heart wrenched with concern and sadness for his beautiful, broken girl.

 

Carefully, he tried to use his fingers to pry her hands open but she resisted.

 

“Betty, it’s okay. I’m not going to judge you. You can show me the scary, dark parts of yourself,” he said, trying to reassure her.

 

Betty knew she could trust Jughead but what if this was too much at once? What if between her covering up a murder and her self-harm, he decided he had enough and left her?

 

“I’m not leaving you, Betts, so please, let me help you,” he pleaded softly, pulling gently on her fingers again.

 

She let out a shaky exhale and let him uncurl her fingers, but she didn’t look down as he studied her palms. She couldn’t watch him examine the damage she had done to herself. Veronica came back to the room with the first aid kit and a brown paper bag.

 

“Here’s what you asked for. I understand the brown paper bag but what do you need the first aid kit for?” Veronica said.

 

Jughead looked to Veronica just in time for her to see Betty’s hands. Jughead held his grip firmly on Betty’s fingers, just in case she tried to curl them in again. Based on the look of shock on her face, he assumed that despite the girls’ close friendship, Betty hadn’t told her about this.

 

Veronica’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Betty what did you do?”

 

“Veronica,” Jughead said firmly. “Can you put the first aid kit down by me?”

 

Veronica nodded, placing it down next to him. Jughead quickly opened two gauze packets and placed them over the crescent-shaped cuts in Betty’s palm and then curled Betty’s fingers back in, the pads of her fingers flat against the gauze.

 

“Hold these in place for me, okay? Keep working on your breathing, I need to talk to Veronica and I will be right back.”

 

Betty nodded, her breathing sounded like it was beginning to level out. Jughead got up and motioned Veronica to join him out in the hall.

 

“You knew about this? About her hurting herself?” Veronica asked, as soon as they were out of earshot.

 

“I knew she had in the past, when she told me about it there were only scars on her palms, nothing fresh,” Jughead said.

 

A single tear rolled down Veronica’s cheek. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice,” she said weakly, “some friend I am.”

 

Jughead shook his head and placed a hand on her arm. “This isn’t your fault Veronica. Listen, I need you to promise me that you are not going to tell anyone about this. If Betty thinks anyone else knows, she is going to freak out okay? She doesn’t like it when people think she is weak.”

 

“Of course,” she said. “Of course I won’t tell anyone.”

 

Jughead exhaled. “Okay. I need to get back in there, but I need to do this alone. Is Archie free right now? Maybe you can call him to come over.”

 

Jughead didn’t want to force Veronica out, but he also didn’t know what exactly triggered Betty’s panic attack and if it had anything to do with her mother or psycho half-brother he knew she wouldn’t say anything with Veronica there.

 

Veronica nodded, wiping the stray tear from her cheek. “Yeah, I can call him.”

 

He gave her arm a gentle squeeze before letting it go. “She’ll be okay.”

 

He turned and went back to Betty’s room. To his relief, her breathing had almost returned to normal and her hands were in the same position he had left them. She looked up when he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

 

“Okay,” he said as he kneeled down again in front of her. “Let’s see what we have here.”

 

Gently, he removed the gauze. The bleeding stopped and it looked like the wounds weren’t too deep but she had blood underneath her fingernails.

 

“Can we wash these?” he asked, pointing his chin towards her hands.

 

Betty nodded and he helped her out of the chair.

 

Once in the bathroom, Jughead turned on the faucet and adjusted the temperature until the water was lukewarm. When he stepped away from the sink, Betty put soap on her hands and washed them, wincing slightly as the water cleaned out her cuts.

 

When she was finished, Jughead took the towel off the rack and dried her hands. He was being so gentle with her it made her heartache.

 

“I’m sorry,” she croaked, her voice coming out hoarser than she expected.

 

Jughead gazed at her for a moment before lifting his hand to cup her cheek. Betty’s eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into the contact.

 

“I have a darkness in me too, remember?” he whispered, echoing her words from his own dark panic attack.

 

They went back to her room and Betty sat down on the office chair again while Jughead took care of her palms.

 

“You’re so good at this,” Betty commented as Jughead placed the last piece of medical tape.

 

“I had a lot of practice,” Jughead said absentmindedly.

 

“Your dad?” she questioned.

 

Jughead nodded, placing things back in the first aid kit before snapping the lid closed. He walked over to her bed and laid down before opening his arms to her. She got up immediately and laid down next to him, letting him wrap her up tightly in his arms. She breathed in his scent and let it soothe her before she nuzzled him and closed her eyes. He held her tightly, kissing the side of her forehead.

 

“You going to tell me what happened?” he asked quietly.

 

Betty took a deep breath and then sighed. “I have to go home tomorrow morning.”

 

Jughead stiffened. “Home? To Riverdale?”

 

Betty nodded. “Remember that car I told you about? The one they pulled out of Sweetwater River?”

 

“Yeah? What about it?”

 

“They found a partial hand print on the outside of the car and it’s a 12 point match to me. The Sheriff asked me to come home and answer some questions,” Betty explained. “I have no idea how I am going to tell my mom. She is going to have a nuclear meltdown. Who knows what Chic is going to do.”

 

Jughead shifted so that he was leaning over her. “They’re not going to do anything to you,” he growled. “I will be there the whole time. Neither of them are going to get a chance to be alone with you.”

 

Betty didn’t respond, she just nodded. Tears began to burn behind her eyes, so she squeezed them shut, letting the tears roll down her face. Although she was terrified about what was going to happen tomorrow morning, she believed Jughead would keep her safe.

 

When she opened her eyes again she whispered, “You’re the only thing that makes me feel safe anymore.”

 

Jughead moved so that he was laying on top of her and covered her mouth with his. He hated that Betty was in so much pain and although it wasn’t the most conventional way, he knew of one way he could make her feel better. Betty opened her mouth to him as he slipped his tongue in, languidly twisting his tongue with hers and he began to rock his erection against her.

 

Betty moaned and pushed back again him, she couldn’t get over how easily they got wrapped up in one another. She had so much going on, so much she had to do, but she didn’t care. Her mind had been racing a moment ago but everything disappeared with one single thought remaining. _Him._

 

Betty broke their kiss. “Please Jug,” she said pulling at his shirt. “I need more.”

 

Letting her pull his shirt off he said, “Tell me what you need Betty.”

 

Betty put both hands on either side of his face and stared into his cerulean eyes.

 

“You,” she whispered. “I just need you.”

 

Jughead pressed his lips to hers again but this time, his kiss wasn’t slow and soft like it had been before. This time they kissed vehemently and full of passion as they continued to pull at each other’s clothes until each article of clothing was scattered on the floor. Jughead ran his nose against hers as his hand traveled up her thigh. He felt Betty shiver beneath him as she trailed her fingers up and down his back. He knew the way they felt about each other when they were intimate like this had something to do with the fact that they were in love; but there was something else, something deeper about being skin to skin with her. Being this close to her, with no barriers between them, was going to be something he would forever crave.

 

Betty felt his rock hard length drag against her wet folds and she whimpered, feeling her body hum with anticipation. Jughead shifted a little, putting his forearms on the bed on either side of her as Betty wrapped her arms around his neck. She started attacking his neck, licking, nipping and kissing, making him groan as he lined himself up with her.

 

Betty paused for a moment and laid back and all time seemed to stop as she wondered how it was possible to feel so much love for one single person in such a short amount of time. Sometimes she thought she was crazy, that their love for each other was really just driven by the lust they shared, and other times she thought that it was fate. Like their love had been written in the stars eons ago and there was nothing either of them could do to stop it.  

 

“I love you,” she said, bringing one hand to cup his cheek and gently dragging the pad of her thumb across his bottom lip.

 

“I love you too,” he crooned before pushing himself into her.

 

Their gazes held as both of their faces scrunched up into ecstasy as soon as he entered her. Betty brought her legs up and wrapped them around his torso as they both began to thrust their hips together in perfect synchronicity. Jughead pressed his face into the curve of her neck, feeling her every breathy moan flutter against his ear. After a few thrusts, he opened his mouth and began sucking on her pulse point, feeling her chest expand beneath his weight as she gasped.

 

When there was a dark purple mark formed on her porcelain skin, Jughead lifted his face and began to kiss her again. This kiss was once again, soft and slow, their lips molding and moving together like they had all the time in the world.

 

For Jughead, this is what made being with Betty different than all the girls he had slept with in the past. With her, it wasn’t just physical. Sure, they were attracted to each other and more often than not they fucked hard and fast, desperate to find their release together. But lately, their intimacy was more like this. Slow, gentle, and tender with their bodies pressed impossibly close like they were stuck together with super glue. He realized then that she was the first woman he had ever made love to, that she was the only woman that he’d ever want to make love to.

 

Jughead quickened his pace, the sound of their hips smacking together and soft moans filling the small four walls of Betty’s bedroom. Betty tightened her hold on him, squeezing her pelvic muscles as he thrust himself in and out of her. It wasn’t long before she felt herself building just as Jughead’s smooth rhythm began to get choppy.

 

“Oh god Betty,” Jughead groaned as he returned his face to the crook of her neck.

 

“I’m almost there Juggie, don’t stop,” she whined, knowing full well he was close.

 

Jughead gritted his teeth, knowing he could only hold back for a few more moments. He thrust harder, with more force, hoping the intensity would tip her over the edge.

 

He was rewarded almost instantly when Betty’s slick walls clenched even tighter and her whole body began to shake. He watched as her face scrunched up and then her mouth dropped open in a silent scream as she arched her back on the bed. Quickly, he pulled out and emptied himself onto her stomach.

 

Betty carefully straightened her legs out as she attempted to catch her breath. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the box of tissues so that she could clean herself off, handing the box to Jughead after she took a few.

 

Just as he took her used tissues from her, he tossed them from his place on her bed into the trash can and then began working his way down her body. Her head shot up immediately to watch him.

 

“Jug, what are you doing?” she asked, although she already had a pretty good guess as to what he was up.

 

Jughead smirked at her before he pushed her legs further apart and licked a stripe up the length of her arousal. Betty’s hips bowed off the bed, her whole body quaking from his unexpected sensual assault.

 

“O-oh my g-god,” she stuttered. “You can’t be serious right now.”

 

Jughead looked up at her through his lashes as he settled himself further back on her bed. “Oh I’m definitely serious,” he said before attaching his mouth to her clit.

 

He sucked and swirled his tongue around the swollen nub a few ties, watching Betty throw her head back against the pillow. He released it with an audible pop.

 

“Unless you want me to stop?” he teased, lightly blowing on her oversensitive center.

 

“No don’t stop,” she mewled, practically panting already.

 

As much as she loved intercourse with Jughead, Betty would easily give him her last bite of everything she ate from now until the end of eternity if he used his impeccable tongue skills on her for the rest of her life. She had experienced oral sex before with past sexual partners, but none of them knew what they were doing. They also couldn’t take a hint either and there were quite a few times that she had to fake her orgasm so that it would end as soon as possible and save both of them the embarrassment.

 

Just then, Jughead flicked the tip of his tongue quickly back and forth over her, wiping all thought from her mind as her hips jerked off the bed making her moan loudly. She could swear she could feel him smiling against her, smug about the fact that he could make such noises come out of her.

 

She made a mental note to make a noise like _that_ come out of him next time they are like this right before her insides began to tighten again. Stars started to form behind her eyes just before the tightness snapped and pleasure coursed through her body like electricity, effectively setting her skin aflame. This time, she couldn’t hold back and she moaned his name just as her toes started to curl. Jughead reached up and covered her mouth before another moan could escape, _shhing_ her but laughing at the same time.

 

Jughead laid down next to her, pulling the covers over them as Betty closed her eyes and willed her heartbeat to slow. When she felt like she had caught her breath, she shifted and tucked herself into his side as he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. Betty nuzzled his shoulder before settling her ear over his chest and closed her eyes as she let his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

 

When she opened her eyes again, it was darker in her room. She looked up to find Jughead watching her sleep.

 

“Hey,” she whispered softly.

 

“Hi,” Jughead whispered back.

 

Betty leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, but when she looked back into his eyes she could tell something was wrong.

 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek.

 

If Jughead was being 100% honest with himself and 100% honest with her, her panic attack earlier had scared the shit out of him. From getting the phone call from Veronica to the finding her palms bleeding in her room, to her telling him that she had to go to Riverdale tomorrow, it had all absolutely shook him to his core. For the first time, it had given a small sliver of what Betty must’ve felt when she found him lying unconscious on the floor of the shop.

 

His only solace in the whole situation was that he was the only one that she wanted to see. The unfamiliar feeling of pride and primal instinct to protect stirred in his chest again. He knew from their first date that there was a very good possibility that he would fall in love with her but he never considered how her loving him back and needing him would change him. Part of him still believed that he didn’t deserve her, but now he didn’t know if he’d be able to do anything else for the rest of his life but love and protect the gorgeous woman lying in his arms.

 

_...in half a lifetime of spectacular messes, you are the very first thing that’s felt right._

 

“Will you promise me something?” he asked softly.

 

“Of course,” she answered automatically, although she was still unsure where he was going with this.

 

“Promise me, that no matter what happens that we won’t hide our dark parts from each other.”

 

Her heart broke a little, he was scared of losing her. “I promise.”

 

“No I mean it,” he said firmly. He wanted, _needed_ her to hear him. “I understand why you put on a fake smile in front of your friends and probably in front of your family. But when it’s just us, I want you to show me who you are. All of it. The good parts, the dark parts and everything in between. I always want to be the first call you make when good things happen and I want to be the first call when they don’t. Always. I never want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me.”

 

“Okay,” she said as she ran her thumb over his cheek. “I promise.”

 

Jughead cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, pouring all the fear he felt when he walked into her bedroom earlier that day and all the love he felt for her at that moment into it. He pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers, letting out a shaky breath.

 

“Okay,” he said.

 

“Jughead?” she asked after a beat.

 

“Yes?”

 

Betty leaned back a little, she wanted to look him in the eye in hopes that her eyes would convey all the emotions that were paired with what she was about to say.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He gave her a crooked smile. “For what Betts?”

 

“For being you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!!! 
> 
> So for those of you who wanted more of a conversation to happen between Veronica and Jughead, I hope this chapter did it justice for you. Showdown with Chic & Mama Cooper in the next chapter! 
> 
> As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments.
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	12. Forensics & Finer Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to @bugggghead for looking this over for me. You are truly Wonder Woman and I'm sorry I can't get my punctuation down to save my life and that "had" is my favorite word to overuse. LOL -ily xoxo

“Alright Betts, walk me through it one more time,” Jughead said. “Close your eyes, concentrate.” 

 

It was early morning and Jughead and Betty were on their way to Riverdale to meet Sheriff Keller. Jughead was driving with Betty sitting in the passenger seat and he was drilling her on what happened the night Betty pushed the Shady Man’s car into Sweetwater River. Jughead was trying to help her find a loophole to explain how her handprint had ended up on the car. 

 

Betty sighed as she closed her eyes. “I was sitting outside on the steps when the meter maid drove by and asked me if I knew who the car belonged to because it was going to be towed. I told her I didn’t. When the meter maid drove away, I ran into my house and got everything I needed to break into the car and hotwire it. I went back outside and pulled on the door handle.” 

 

“Ok stop there-” Jughead cut her off. “Before you opened the car door, did you put your hand on the window?” 

 

“No, I didn’t,” Betty said. She was trying not to get frustrated with him, but this was the third time he had asked her to run through that night. 

 

“Okay, so that means that your handprint would’ve been on the inside of the car?” 

 

Betty nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means.” 

 

“Alright, keep going.” 

 

Betty groaned. “Jug why do you keep making me do this? I’ve told you the story three times now! You know where my hands were in the car already!”  

 

“Seriously Betty? You think I’m asking you to repeat that night because I’m fucking stupid? I’m doing it because I’m making sure you’ve got your story straight! We don’t know where they found your handprint yet on the car, so we need to be prepared for every scenario so you know what to say,” Jughead snapped back at her, his own frustration with her growing. 

 

Betty leaned back in her seat and rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. This was probably the first time they had ever been so short with each other since they started dating. Truthfully, she knew they weren’t actually mad at each other, it was just the stress and fear of her meeting with Sheriff Keller today that was putting both of them on edge. 

 

“I know. I know,” Betty said, sighing again. “I’m sorry, Jug. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” 

 

Jughead looked over at her for a brief moment before looking back at the road.  

 

“It’s okay babe,” he said, reaching over and running his hand over her thigh. “we’re both a little on edge.” 

 

“I don’t even know if they’ve tied the car back to the Shady Man. What if he wasn’t the owner of the car? If it was someone else, then the police would have already contacted them about the car,” Betty said. 

 

“I know babe, but we really won’t know what’s going on until you meet with the Sheriff.” 

 

Betty nodded, once again Jughead had a point. All they knew right now was that they had found a handprint on the car, but they still didn’t know where. Either way, it didn’t make sense to Betty because she had wiped the inside and the outside of the car door, as well as everywhere else she had touched before she had pushed the car into the river. 

 

Betty froze as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. 

 

“Shit,” she whispered. 

 

“What?” Jughead asked, surprised by her sudden expletive. 

 

“I pushed the car into the river that night Jug,” Betty said weakly. 

 

“So that would mean…” 

 

“My handprint is on the back of the car.” Betty finished his thought. 

 

Jughead’s mind was whirling from the new information. This entire time, it boggled him as to how, after the car had been in the river for a few weeks, Betty’s handprint could still be on the car. He supposed if her handprint was on the back of the car, and the car went into the water nose first, then it would be plausible that her handprint survived. But even then, it still made absolutely no sense to him whatsoever. 

 

“I don’t know Betts, this all still seems far-fetched to me. Is there any possibility that Chic is trying to set you up?” 

 

Betty trapped her lower lip between her teeth, thinking Jughead’s speculation through. 

 

“I don’t  _ think  _ so. How would he have been able to get to the car after they pulled it out of the river? How would he have been able to get my handprint?” Betty questioned. 

 

Jughead shrugged. “Stranger things have happened. Do siblings have similar handprints?” 

 

“Handprints yes, fingerprints no. Even if their handprints were similar, it wouldn’t be enough to make a 12 point match and they would have to check the DNA to be sure.” 

 

Jughead couldn’t help but smirk at her. “You watch way too much CSI don’t you?” 

 

Betty laughed. “No, but my nickname in high school  _ was  _ Nancy Drew.” 

 

Jughead chuckled, Betty could break into and hotwire a car and she knew a lot more about crime and forensic science than anyone he had ever met. His girl was definitely an enigma. 

 

“Okay true crime detective, riddle me this. How does one get their fingerprints?” he asked. 

 

He didn’t actually know the answer but he was curious to know if she did. 

 

Betty smiled at him before sitting up straighter in her seat. “It’s actually really cool. When a mother is roughly six months pregnant, the fetus starts to explore their surroundings." Betty stuck her hands out in front of her with her fingers splayed. "As they touch and kick the womb around them, the pressure creates ridges that eventually form their fingerprints." 

 

They were stopped at a red light and Jughead turned to gaze at her for a moment. Despite all of the shit in their lives practically burning to the ground around them, he was still always in awe of his beautiful, broken girl. The light turned green and Jughead turned his attention back to the road. 

 

He cleared his throat. “Are you sure you weren’t called Hermione Granger in high school?” 

 

Betty rolled her eyes. “Hah-hah.” 

 

He laughed before taking her hand into his and bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. 

 

“For the record, I like that you’re smart,” he said, after dropping her hand. “I think it’s hot.” 

 

Betty blushed profusely while she looked out the window, her heart aching with how much she loved the beautiful, broken boy sitting next to her in the cab of the truck. It amazed her lately how they had both gone through so much in the short time they had been together and yet they were still so happy. It was like they were in their own little bubble when they were together and nothing could pop it. 

 

Well, unless she was arrested for murder later today. That might definitely pop the bubble.

 

“Will you still think I’m hot when I’m behind bars for being an accessory to murder?” Betty asked with faux sweetness. 

 

“Depends on the prison uniform,” Jughead said without missing a beat. 

 

Betty burst out laughing. “You are horrible!” she said while smacking his shoulder. 

 

“What?” he said between laughs. “Orange is not your color.” 

 

Betty continued to giggle and shake her head. “You are ridiculous sometimes.” 

 

Jughead reached over and wrapped his arm around Betty’s shoulders. Betty unbuckled her seatbelt and let him pull her closer to him, tucking herself into his side. 

 

He kissed the side of her forehead. “Seriously though Betts, I really don’t think it will come to that. It’s going to be okay.” 

 

Betty sighed and nodded. “We’ll see.” 

 

***

 

When they pulled up in front of the Riverdale police station, Betty was shocked to see Chic and her mother standing on the steps, waiting for her. Jughead recognized Chic immediately and he assumed that the immaculately dressed blonde woman was Betty’s mother. 

 

“Is that your Mom?” Jughead asked. 

 

“Unfortunately,” Betty grumbled. 

 

Jughead reached over and gave Betty’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll be here the whole time.” 

 

Betty sighed. “If we make it through this day alive, I promise to take you to Pop’s on our way out of town.” she said as she began to get out of the car. 

 

“What’s Pop’s?” 

 

Betty didn’t have time to answer because her mother had strode over to her before Betty even had a chance to get out of the car. 

 

“Elizabeth!” Alice screeched, putting a painful vice grip on Betty’s arm. “What were you thinking? Agreeing to meet with Sheriff Keller before talking to me first? And why didn’t you tell me about the car?” 

 

“Hello to you, too, Mom,” Betty said, keeping her voice clipped. 

 

Jughead rounded the car quickly, rage exploding in his chest when he saw Betty’s mom’s grip on her arm. He walked up to them. 

 

Alice looked him up and down, glaring at him. “Who is this?” 

 

Betty rolled her eyes, pulling her arm out of her mother’s grip. “Mom, this is my boyfriend, Jughead.” 

 

Alice crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Ah, yes. Your brother did say you were shacking up with this hoodlum.” 

 

“Mom!” Betty gasped. 

 

“What? Be reasonable Elizabeth, we both know you can do better than this.” 

 

Betty clenched her fists, the pain from her nails pressing on the fresh scabs on her palms grounding her. Jughead noticed and reached over, edging his fingertips between her fingers and palms to loosen her grip before lacing his fingers into hers. There was so much he wanted to say to the woman standing in front of him, but he figured now was not the time or the place. 

 

Just then, Chic walked up behind Alice, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. Jughead gave him a smug grin, getting pleasure from the look of annoyance on Chic’s face. 

 

“Chic,” Jughead said, nodding at him. 

 

“Jughead,” Chic snarled, returning his nod. 

 

Betty could feel the tension building between the two men. It almost matched the tension between her and her mother. She squeezed Jughead’s hand. 

 

“C’mon Jug, let’s get inside. I don’t want to be late for my meeting with Sheriff Keller,” Betty said, exasperated. 

 

Chic sidestepped and blocked Betty’s path, smirking down at her. “Hey, Betty.”

 

Jughead stood directly behind Betty with both of his hands on his shoulders. Since he was a head taller than Betty was, he could easily glare at Chic over her. Jughead didn’t care that Chic was Betty’s brother, he wasn’t about to stand here and let Chic intimidate her. 

 

Betty sighed. “Chic.” 

 

Without another word, Jughead guided Betty by her shoulders around both Chic and her mother and up the stairs to the police station. He could feel the tension radiating off her right underneath his fingertips. When they stepped through the double doors, Betty looked over her shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see anyone following behind them. 

 

“You good?” Jughead asked, pointing his chin towards the door. 

 

“Yeah. One of these days I’m going to punch that smirk right off his face,” Betty said through clenched teeth. 

 

“I’d love to see that,” Jughead said chuckling. 

 

Betty lightly punched him in the shoulder. “You’re not helping!” 

 

He laughed even more. “Okay, first we need to work on that punch of yours so you actually do some damage when you do finally snap and punch him.” 

 

The two of them were still giggling when someone cleared their throat behind them. Betty spun around immediately. 

 

“Sheriff Keller!” Betty said in a little too high voice. 

 

“Betty, it’s so good to see you,” Sheriff Keller said, pulling her in for a hug. “How’s college going?” 

 

“Good Sheriff and it’s good to see you too.” 

 

Jughead’s eyebrows raised involuntarily at their exchange, he wasn’t expecting the town’s sheriff to be so friendly. He supposed that even though it seemed strange to him, it meant she was off to a good start. If the Sheriff thought Betty actually did something wrong, he probably wouldn’t have looked so happy to see her. 

 

“Who’s this young man?” the Sheriff asked. 

 

Betty smiled. “This is my boyfriend, Jughead Jones.” 

 

Jughead’s heart warmed at how proud Betty looked to introduce him to the Sheriff. 

 

He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.” 

 

The Sheriff took his hand. “You’re the fellow who set my son up with his boyfriend aren’t you?” 

 

“Your son?” Jughead asked, confused. 

 

“Yeah, Kevin? Kevin Keller.” 

 

“Your Kevin’s Dad?” Jughead asked.

 

“Yeah. Kevin and I grew up together,” Betty said, chiming in. 

 

Jughead let go of the Sheriff’s hand. “Wow, when you said you and Kevin went way back I didn’t think you meant you were from the same hometown.” 

 

“Yup, they’ve been inseparable since the sandbox.” 

 

The three of them laughed at that. 

 

The Sheriff cleared his throat, his face going serious. “Betty, will your mother be joining us?” 

 

Now Jughead was worried. 

 

“No? I’m over 18. I didn’t think it was necessary,” Betty said, her voice wavering. 

 

Something was definitely wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. 

 

“I think it’d be best for her to be present during questioning.” 

 

Just then, Alice walked into the police station with Chic and strode over to them, her heels clicking noisily on the floor. 

 

_ Speak and she shall appear, _ Betty thought to herself bitterly. 

 

“Mom, the Sheriff is suggesting your presence during my interview. Do you mind?” 

 

“Not at all Elizabeth. I’m glad the Sheriff has brought you to your senses.” 

 

Betty rolled her eyes again. 

 

Jughead put a hand on Betty’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure about this, Betts? You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” 

 

Betty turned around to face him. “I’m sure, Jug. It’ll be okay. I’ll see you after.” 

 

Betty leaned up on her tippy-toes and planted a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth and then whispered in his ear, “I love you.” 

 

He smiled at her and watched her turn on her heel and follow her mother and the Sheriff down the hallway until her blonde ponytail disappeared out of sight. 

 

***

 

Betty was immediately confused when the three of them passed Sheriff Keller’s office and continued walking down the hall towards the interrogation rooms. Betty glanced at her mother out of the side of her eye and they gave each other the same wary look. When they entered the interrogation room, a whole new wave of anxiety rolled through Betty. 

 

It was exactly like what she expected an interrogation room to look like and realized that Hollywood didn’t leave much to the imagination when she saw them on the crime shows she used to watch. The room was light grey, on one wall there was a mirror which she knew was a two way mirror, a stainless steel table that was bolted to the floor, and four metal chairs, two on each side of the table. 

 

She and Alice took seats next to each other and the Sheriff sat across from them, placing a manilla folder on the table that Betty hadn’t noticed before. 

 

She took a deep, steadying breath. “So Sheriff, you said you had questions about the car that was pulled out of Sweetwater River?” 

 

***

 

Jughead and Chic were both standing in the lobby, neither of them had moved much since Betty and her mother went back with the Sheriff. Jughead could feel Chic’s eyes boring into him but for the last 15 minutes from the other side of the room, he had been actively ignoring him. As soon as Betty left with her mother, Jughead positioned himself on one of the walls in the lobby and aimlessly scrolled through his phone. However, even with his best efforts not to give in the Chic’s stare down, it didn’t make it any less annoying. 

 

“You should take a picture,” Jughead said without looking up from his phone. “It’ll last longer.” 

 

“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” Chic seethed. 

 

Jughead shrugged noncommittally. “I guess it would depend on what your idea of funny is.” 

 

“Me stabbing you with a knife, now that I find funny,” Chic said under his breath. 

 

“Is that a threat?” Jughead asked, still not looking up from his phone. 

 

“You bet it is.” 

 

Jughead looked up. “It’s cute that you think that something like that would scare me.” 

 

Chic shrugged. “I guess it would depend on what your idea of scary is.” 

 

Jughead smirked and then crossed the room towards him. He stopped right in front of Chic and they were almost nose to nose. 

 

“I’m not sure what impression I have given you,” Jughead growled, keeping his voice low. “But let me assure you, I have skeletons in my closet that would make your worst nightmare look like a fairytale, so let me give you some friendly advice: don’t fuck with me because I promise you, if you do, you will live to regret it.”

 

Chic’s eyes went wide at Jughead’s statement, his bottom lip was quivering. He knew he shouldn’t, but he felt kind of smug that he still had his edge. Jughead took a step back and smiled as he turned around and went back to his place on the wall. 

 

***

 

“That is absolutely ridiculous, Tom!” Alice screeched. “You can’t seriously believe that Elizabeth had anything to do with that car being pushed into Sweetwater River.” 

 

The interview with Sheriff Keller had started out like any interrogation Betty had seen in the crime TV show she watched. It started with small talk, simple questions leading into ones that required the suspect to provide more detail. A good interrogator mentally catalogs the different responses that the suspects gives and then uses those responses to trip the suspect up later on. (Yes, Jughead was right, Betty did watch way too much CSI.) Sheriff Keller had asked Betty about her alibi that evening and then transitioned into questioning her about the meter maid who did identify Betty from a picture Keller had shown her. After that, Sheriff Keller had asked about Betty’s knowledge of cars and if her father had ever taught her how to break into one. Betty had answered, “yes”, that her father did teach her how to break into a car and then hotwire it. 

 

“Alice,” Sheriff Keller said sternly, “we have reason to believe that Betty is lying about her alibi. I have an eyewitness that places her at the scene of the crime.” 

 

“Who?” Alice spat. “Who is this eyewitness? I would love for them to say to my face that they saw my daughter down at Sweetwater River in the middle of the night like some petty criminal.” 

 

Betty’s anxiety was on overdrive by that point and her thoughts were cycling through her head at an impossible rate. She knew breaking into the car was a risk but she thought she had been careful with making sure no one was watching, and more importantly, no one had followed her. However, her adrenaline had been so high, at the time, that even though she thought she had covered all her bases, maybe she hadn’t. 

 

“You haven’t told us where you found the handprint.” Betty blurted out, putting a pause on the argument between the Sheriff and her mother. “Which, I find hard to believe because you said you pulled the car out of Sweetwater River. Anyone who watches a crime show would know that a viable handprint after a car has been in water for any amount of time is impossible.” 

 

Although at the time she wasn’t so sure, the points that Jughead made in the car kept coming back to her. 

 

Her mother looked from the Sheriff to her and then back to the Sheriff again. 

“Well?” Alice asked, annoyance laced in her voice. 

 

The Sheriff squirmed in his seat under Alice’s scrutiny. “Well, the truth is. There was no handprint.” 

 

“What?!” Betty and her mother yelled at the same time. 

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Alice yelled at the top of her lungs. “You had my daughter come in here on false pretenses?! You pulled her away from her job and full-time school work to come in here based on circumstantial evidence? I’m putting this on the front page of the Register tomorrow, Tom, and after, that I’m calling my attorney! You’ll be lucky if you have a job by the end of the week!” 

 

All of the sudden, Betty was very, very grateful that she listened to the Sheriff when he suggested that her mom attend the interview. 

 

“Now listen here, Alice! We might not have had a handprint but we do have holes in Betty’s alibi. That is enough to arrest her.” 

 

“Ah yes, the eyewitness. How convenient. Tell me, is he related to the easter bunny?” 

 

“No,” the Sheriff said, the corner of his mouth pulling into a smirk. “But he is related to you.” 

 

Betty froze, the flood of relief she had felt a moment ago when her mother had come to her defense evaporated. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Betty asked. 

 

“Three days ago, we brought your brother in for questioning. We were able to trace the owner of the car to a woman who lives just outside of Greendale near the rundown motel on route 58. When we got that bit of information, I sent Chic’s picture over to the Greendale police and they told me that your brother had stayed at that motel frequently and that he had been arrested a few times for drugs and assault.”

 

Betty shook her head, none of this made any sense to her. “But why were you looking into Chic in the first place.” 

 

“He’s the newest person to the town that someone on the Riverdale police force doesn’t personally know. We figured it wouldn’t hurt to run a background check on him.” 

 

“So what you’re saying,” Alice interjected, “is that you have systematically targeted both of my children.” 

 

“That wasn’t my intention. However, during Chic’s interview, he said that you had disappeared for quite a while the night you left to go back to school. He said that you and your mother had gotten into a fight and you left the house and out of concern for you, he followed you.” 

 

Betty tried to keep her face neutral, but on the inside, she was panicking. She couldn’t even remember where Chic was the night she got rid of the car. 

 

This was it. The truth was going to come out about the car and then the police were going to be led right to the Shady Man’s body and she was going to prison for murder. Maybe she should just take the heat. The whole reason why Betty tracked Chic down was to give her mother some peace after Polly disappeared. If she took the blame for the murder, Betty would go to prison, get out around 50, and spend the rest of her days working at Pop’s if whoever was running it then would hire her. 

 

Jughead would lose his shit if he knew she was having this conversation with herself right now.

 

“That’s not possible,” Alice said speaking up. “What Chic said was true. Betty and I did get into a fight that evening over Chic but she didn’t leave the house until she left for school.” 

 

“Go on,” the Sheriff said. 

 

“You see, Betty was the one that reunited her brother and I but that doesn’t mean that they have always gotten along. I think Betty has grown jealous of all the attention I have been giving Chic and because of that, instead of embracing her new brother, she has ended up resenting him. Betty and I fought that night but we ended up settling our differences and she was with me in my bedroom because I wanted to show her Chic’s baby photos and explain why I had given him up in the first place.” 

 

Betty stared at her mother in awe, why was she lying for her? Her mother had explained to her why she gave Chic up for adoption, but not that night. 

 

“Betty, is that true?” the Sheriff asked. 

 

Betty's eyes snapped to the Sheriff’s, his question reminding her that she was in this room with them and not just a spectator from the sidelines. 

 

She loosened her fists. 

 

“Yes, it is. My mom and I fought but I didn’t want to leave for school with us on bad terms so I went to her room and we made up. I still left for school that night; even though it was late when I left.” 

 

The Sheriff looked between the two women. He seemed to be considering their answer as

he cleared his throat. “I guess my next question is, why would Chic lie about where the two of you were that night?” 

 

Betty thought about that for a moment, for all she knew Chic did follow her that night and he did watch her push the car into Sweetwater River. The bigger question for her was, why would he tell the Sheriff and how did it come up in Chic’s interview? 

 

“Sheriff?” Betty began to ask, completely ignoring his question. “How did the car come up in Chic’s interview? Was he a suspect?” 

 

The Sheriff shifted in his seat. “Yes and no. The car we pulled out of Sweetwater River belonged to a woman named Darla over in Centerville.” 

 

“What does she have to do with Chic?” Alice asked. 

 

Sheriff Keller looked uncomfortable again. “Alice, I know you may not want to hear this, but Chic has a rap sheet over in Greendale. He is known for prostitution and selling drugs out of the motel he was staying at.” 

 

Betty sucked her lower lip between her teeth. She had known about the ghosts of Chic’s past, but she wasn’t sure how much her mother knew about it. 

 

“So what? That’s my son’s past. It has nothing to do with these ridiculous accusations you are bringing against my family in the present.” 

 

“Well, actually it does. Darla was Chic’s supplier. When he ran drugs, he was running drugs for her. They knew each other.” 

 

Betty felt her heart clench in her chest. If the car belonged to Darla, and Chic and Darla knew each other, that meant that Darla was somehow related to the Shady Man and if Darla knew the Shady Man, then she would know that he had been missing all of this time. 

 

“So you asked Chic about the car pulled out of Sweetwater River and he just told you it was me?” Betty asked. 

 

“Not at first. When I told him it was likely he was going to be arrested for putting the car in the river, he implicated you,” Sheriff Keller said. 

 

“Well, I don’t know who the car belonged to. I left it out on the street that night and when I left to go to school later, it was gone.” 

 

The Sheriff stared at Betty for a long moment and then sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his forehead with one hand. 

 

“Well, I guess that puts Chic back on the suspect list.” 

 

Betty looked at her mother out of the side of her eye. She must’ve known that she could only stand by one of her children’s alibis for that night. If her mother took her side in the investigation, that meant that Chic would be back in the spotlight. Betty idly wondered how Chic would react to the news considering he has been trying to get rid of Betty since he came to the Cooper household. Clearly from the Sheriff’s news, Chic was dangerous. He worked for a drug dealer and Betty figured that was how the Shady Man came into play in the first place. They never did get an answer out of Chic as to what the Shady Man was doing at their house in the first place on the night of the murder. 

 

“Are we done here?” Alice asked bitterly. 

 

The Sheriff sighed again. “Yes, Alice. We’re done. You are both free to go.” 

 

Alice stood. “Come on, Elizabeth. Let’s go.” 

 

Betty bit her bottom lip and then released it. “Actually Mom, there’s one more thing I wanted to discuss with the Sheriff. Could you wait for me out in the lobby?” 

 

***

 

Jughead was still leaning on the wall, reading his worn copy of  _ Fahrenheit 451,  _ when he heard Alice Cooper’s heels clicking noisily on the linoleum floor. He looked up and immediately felt dread course through his veins when he saw the look on Alice’s face and that she was alone. 

 

He stood up straight. “Where is Betty?” 

 

“She said she had something private to discuss with the Sheriff. She’ll be out shortly.” 

 

Jughead let go of the breath he had no idea he’d been holding and sagged back against the wall. 

 

Chic crossed the lobby to Alice. “Are you okay, Mom?” 

 

Jughead watched as Chic reached out to touch his mother on the arm and she flinched away from him. Chic’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

 

“I’m fine,” Alice responded. 

 

Jughead felt just as confused as Chic looked. He wondered what happened in the interview that Alice was all of the sudden cold towards Chic. He almost felt sorry for Chic. All this time, it had seemed like Chic was Alice’s guard dog and now that it was clear that Alice was upset with him, he didn’t know what to do with himself. 

 

Chic looked over at Jughead and then back at Alice. 

 

“Did I do something wrong?” Chic asked. 

 

Alice was staring off at a spot on the lobby wall. It was like she hadn’t even heard what Chic said. Jughead was starting to feel uneasy. Clearly something was wrong and the fact that Betty hadn’t come out from her interview with the Sheriff made him feel even more anxious. 

 

“Mom,” Chic said again. 

 

That seemed to break Alice out of her trance. 

 

Before Jughead could listen for Alice’s response, he felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. Fishing it out of his pocket, he was immediately confused to see Betty’s name flashing across the screen. 

 

He answered it. “Betts?” 

 

_ “Hey Jug, look down the hall,”  _  Betty said. 

 

Jughead turned and looked down the hallway to see Betty standing at the end of it. 

 

“What are you doing down there? Is everything okay?” 

 

_ “Yeah, everything is fine. I just need a favor.”  _

 

“Okay… what can I do?” Jughead asked, still clearly confused. 

 

_ “Can you go tell my Mom that I need her assistance in the bathroom?”  _

 

“Seriously? Betty, what is going on?” 

 

_ “Jughead, I promise I will explain everything once we get out to the car but for right now I need you to do this.”  _

 

Jughead sighed and walked over to Alice. “Uh, Mrs. Cooper? Betty just called me and asked me to tell you she needs your help in the ladies room.” 

 

“She called you to ask me to help her in the ladies room?” Alice asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

 

Jughead shrugged. “Yeah, she said something about her bra or needing a tampon… I don’t quite remember.”

 

Alice looked uncomfortable. Jughead gathered that she had never heard a man say “bra” or “tampon” in her life. However, despite her shock and confusion, she began to walk over towards the ladies room. Chic was still watching her with a lost expression on his face. 

 

“She’s on her way,” Jughead told Betty. 

 

_ “Thanks Juggie,”  _ Betty said, before hanging up. 

 

Jughead watched as Betty popped into the bathroom and Alice walked down to meet her. 

 

Once her mother had walked into the bathroom, Betty quickly closed the door behind her and locked it. Alice looked a little alarmed. 

 

“Elizabeth, what are you doing?” her mom asked. 

 

“I needed to talk to you before we left so we can decide on a strategy,” Betty confessed. 

 

“A strategy? Strategy for what?” 

 

Betty rolled her eyes. “To talk to Chic, Mom!” 

 

“There’s nothing to discuss, Elizabeth!” Alice snapped. 

 

“Mom, are you kidding me?” Betty said exasperated. “We need to ask him why he tried to turn me into the Sheriff.” 

 

Alice looked uncomfortable. “What does it matter now? There Sheriff said that your alibi puts him back on the suspect list. Maybe they’ll take him in for questioning soon.” 

 

Betty stared at her mother for a long moment. From the moment Betty brought Chic into their home, her mother doted on him and gave him all of her undivided attention. Even when Chic bashed the Shady Man’s skull in, her mother insisted that it wasn’t his fault, that Chic was doing the right thing and protecting her. So what was different now? 

 

Betty’s jaw dropped as realization dawned on her. “Are you scared of Chic?” 

 

Alice flinched. “Don’t be ridiculous. How could a mother be afraid of her own son?” 

 

Betty squinted at her Mom. “You are, aren’t you? Did he do something to you?” 

 

“Elizabeth, please! These accusations are absolutely asinine,” Alice said softly, not looking Betty in the eye.

 

Betty grabbed her mother by the arms. “Mom, what aren’t you telling me?” 

 

Betty and her mother stared at each other for a long moment and Betty’s chest began to fill with dread. Suddenly, she felt guilty for running back to school and ignoring all of her mother’s phone calls. 

 

“Did something happen while I was away?” Betty asked, trying again to get a response out of her mother. 

 

Betty felt anxiety swell in her chest when her mother still wouldn’t look at her, her eyes downcast to the floor. 

 

“Mom,” Betty pleaded, giving her mother a soft shake. “Talk to me. What happened?” 

 

Alice let go a long shaky breath and sniffled a little. “Right after Chic’s interview with the Sheriff, I was in Chic’s room to see if he had any laundry to be done. I wasn’t snooping but I went over to his desk and there was an old picture of you, your father and I that looked like it had been ripped up.” 

 

“What do you mean ripped up?” Betty asked. 

 

“The whole thing wasn’t ripped up, it looked like Chic had cut out you and your father so that it was only a picture of me…” Alice whispered. “It just seemed so odd. Why would he destroy a picture of our family?”

 

“Did you ask him about it?” 

 

Alice shook her head. “No, I just brushed it off but then when the Sheriff told us what Chic did, I wondered if…” 

 

Betty gave her Mom’s arms a gentle squeeze. “If what?” 

 

“If he was trying to get rid of you and your father all this time,” Alice answered, finally looking at Betty. 

 

All the hairs on Betty’s body stood to attention as her skin began to crawl from her mother’s speculation about Chic. She knew Chic had had a rough upbringing and that he was into some shady business before Betty had found him, but was it possible that he was crazy? Would he really get rid of Betty and her father? 

 

“Mom, we have to confront him,” Betty said firmly. “We need to ask Chic about why he told the Sheriff about the car.” 

 

“But what if he lies, Betty? What if he lies and then when you leave, he decides to do something?” Alice said, fear laced in her voice. 

 

“Jughead and I will not leave you, Mom. Not until we sort this out. I promise I won’t leave until you feel safe. Okay?” Betty said, pulling her mother in for a tight hug. 

 

“Okay.” Alice echoed, returning her daughter’s hug. 

 

***

 

Betty and Jughead were driving over to her mother’s house with Betty behind the wheel. Since Betty knew the way, Jughead let her drive and he figured it would give her something to do while she filled him in on what had happened during her interview. It was only a 15 minute drive between the Sheriff station and her childhood home, so Betty tried to fill Jughead in on the interview as quickly as possible. When Betty got to the part where Chic told the Sheriff about her getting rid of the car, it took everything in Jughead’s power not to jump out of the car and strangle Chic to death. 

 

“I just don’t get it!” Jughead growled. “Even if it’s possible that he was following you that night, why would he tell the Sheriff? It leads the police right to the murder. Not only would he get you in trouble but what about your mom? I don’t see all of you walking away from that.” 

 

Betty trapped her bottom lip between her teeth while she thought about Jughead’s questions. She didn’t see how Chic telling the Sheriff about the car would benefit him in any way. Other than implicating her as the murderer of the Shady Man, but he would have to guarantee that their mother wouldn’t confess the true events of what happened. 

 

“I don’t know, Jug. We won’t know what he was thinking until we try to ask him,” Betty said with a sigh. 

 

Jughead knew, from the second that he had laid eyes on Chic, that he was unstable. It didn’t take a genius to see that there was something mentally off about him. All of that was confirmed when he found out that Chic had killed someone. Even if it was self-defense, why was a dangerous drug dealer showing up at the Cooper’s house in the first place? There were too many holes in this story for Jughead to wrap his head around. 

 

“Betty when you started investigating into the child your mom gave up for adoption, where did you start?” Jughead asked. 

 

“It’s called ‘The Sisters of Quiet Mercy’, my mother went there when she found out she was pregnant,” Betty said. 

 

“And what did they tell you?” Jughead asked. 

 

“Nothing really, just that he was never adopted by anyone and gave me his forwarding address.” 

 

“Did they give you a picture of him?” 

 

“No, why?” Betty questioned, furrowing her brows together. She didn’t understand where Jughead was going with all of this. 

 

Jughead rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Betty, did you ever consider the possibility that Chic isn’t actually your brother?” 

 

“What?” Betty asked exasperated. “What makes you think that?” 

 

“I don’t know Betts, how about the fact that his name isn’t Charles? Or the fact that he wants to harm you instead of fit into your family? Or what about how you never saw a picture of him except for his baby photos? Does he look similar to the baby photos your mother showed you?”

 

Betty bit her bottom lip as she attempted to search her memory of what Chic’s baby photos looked like. Was there a resemblance? 

 

“There’s just too many holes in this story Betty, you have to admit that not everything is adding up.” Jughead finished. 

 

Betty pulled up in front of her childhood home, put the car in park and rested her forehead on the steering wheel before letting out a deep sigh. She had been so adamant about mending her mother’s broken heart after her sister left that she hadn’t even bothered to double check what the adoption coordinator had told her about her mother’s case and her lost brother. She had taken the address at face value and sought him out herself, not even checking his credentials. Rookie mistake. What if Chic wasn’t her biological brother? What if this and everything else that had happened in the last few months was  _ her  _ fault? A few tears fell down her cheeks and landed on her thighs. 

 

Jughead reached over and placed his hand on the base of Betty’s neck, massaging circles into the back of her neck. When he heard her sniffle, he realized that she had started to cry. 

 

“Hey, Betty, it’s going to be okay. We’re going to figure this out,” Jughead said. 

 

“It’s not that, Jughead,” Betty whispered. 

 

“Then what is it?” Jughead asked softly. 

 

Betty sat up to face him, not bothering to wipe the already falling tears down her cheeks. “What if I did this? What if I brought the monster into my house? What if all of this is my fault?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> So listen, instead of me telling you everything that has caused me to take so long to update all I am going to say is thank you. Thank you for your patience, thank you to those of you who reached out and checked on me, thank you to all of you who sent me words of positivity and endless encouragement. You are the reason this chapter got finished & there aren't enough words in the English dictionary for me to tell you how much I appreciate you. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed this update and I looked forward to reading your thoughts/comments. 
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


	13. Two Aimless Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you 1,000 times over to my amazing beta @bugggghead for looking this over for me. 
> 
> *The flashback scene at the beginning of this chapter is taken directly from the show, I have adjusted some parts however I just want to make it clear that I am not claiming this scene as my material. Thanks!

_Betty and her mother were heading up a dimly lit staircase on their way to the second floor. Betty had found the motel they were currently in through the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Apparently, on the second floor, in room number 2, her biological brother was alive. When they reached the second floor, Betty immediately felt wary. This wasn’t a place she was used to. The light’s on the walls were flickering and making a constant buzzing noise, the walls were dirty with stains and the rug looked like it had seen better days._

 

_As they walked down the hall, Betty noticed that her mother was also taking in her surroundings and wondered how she was feeling in this moment. Was she excited? Or was she seeing the poor conditions of this motel and feeling guilty for ever giving up her first born child._

 

_Once they were standing in front of the door for room number 2, Alice hesitated. She sighed, clutching her purse tightly and casting Betty an uneasy look out of the corner of her eye._

 

_“It’s okay, Mom,” Betty said._

 

_Alice nodded and lifted her hand to knock on the door._

 

_“Come in,” a male voice said on the other side._

 

_Alice turned the knob, opening the door so the two of them could step inside. The room was dark, with the exception of a bright white stream of sunlight coming through the only window on the far wall. Betty quickly looked around, there was an old mini fridge with a microwave on top of it. On top of the microwave sat two bananas and two take out containers. There was a small bed to her right, and on the left there was a green table with two green chairs. On top of the table was a chess set, the pieces were set up on the board like someone had been playing. By the window, there was another table and Betty immediately noticed the camera in the back left corner of the room next to a large green plant whose leaves were dying around the edges. Finally, her eyes landed on a man with sharp cheekbones, blonde hair, and ice blue eyes._

 

_“Charles?” Alice asked. “Charles, my name is Alice Cooper, this is my daughter Betty, we’re….” Alice hesitated and took a step forward. “I’m-”_

 

_“I know who you are,” Charles said bitterly, standing up from the chair he was sitting in. “The Sisters gave me your address when I turned eighteen and they kicked me out. I even went by your house once. Must be a nice place to grow up.”_

 

_Betty’s heart started to race in her chest as she and her brother stared at each other for the very first time. If she was being honest, even though she didn’t know what to expect, the idea of having a brother was an exciting one. She was devastated when Polly left and she resented her older sister at times for just up and leaving without trying to settle her differences with her parents. She hoped that things would be different with Charles._

 

_“You didn’t want to come in? Meet us?” Alice asked._

 

_“Got the feeling you didn’t want someone like me around,” Charles said._

 

_“That’s not true,” Betty interjected._

 

_A smile crossed Charles’ face as he put his hands on his hips. “You’re my sister.”_

 

_Betty took a tentative step towards him. “Yes.”_

 

_“Well you’re lucky she wanted to keep you.”_

 

_In that moment, Betty thought Charles should’ve just reached in and tore their mother’s heart straight out of her chest, it probably would’ve been more humane._

 

_“Charles!” Alice pleaded._

 

_“It’s Chic!” he snapped. “But how would you know that? You know what? Forget it. You have to go, I have a client on the way.”_

 

_Alice hesitated, Betty could tell that she wasn’t ready to leave. “What kind of work do you do?”_

 

_“Are you for real?” Chic asked, his face twisted in anguish. “Fantasy fulfillment. Now really, you have to go.”_

 

_Tears were streaming down Alice’s face. She looked devastated, haunted by the ghosts of her past. Betty watched her for a moment, she wasn’t making any moves to leave even though Chic had asked them to go._

 

_“Come on, Mom,” Betty said, gently taking her hand._

 

_Betty held onto her mother’s hand all the way back down the dark, dirty hallway, down the dimly lit stairs, through the questionable lobby, only letting go when they made it through the exit and out into the light. Alice barely made it to the car before she started to sob, putting her hand over her chest as she let the ache that had been in her chest for the last twenty plus years roll through her._

 

_Betty didn’t know what to do. She had intended to reunite her Mom and her long lost half brother in hopes that it would mend the hole that her sister had left. However, despite her best intentions, it looked like all she did was make it worse._

 

_Later that night, Betty returned to the hotel alone to try and talk to her brother again. She knew he must’ve been upset with their mother, understandably so, but this couldn’t be the end of it. They had finally found each other. He had to have questions, he had to be curious and despite everything, he had to want to know about their mother._

 

_When Betty got there, she heard two men arguing in the hallway and when she reached the landing to the second floor, she saw Chic and an older man wrestling in the hallway. Betty started to run towards them when the older man took out a knife and cut Chic’s arm._

 

_“Hey! Let go of him!” Betty screamed. She took out her pepper spray from her purse, uncapping it as she continued to advance toward the two struggling men. “Get away from my brother!” Betty sprayed pepper spray right in the man’s eyes. He screamed out in pain. “Come on, let’s go!” Betty said as she grabbed Chic’s arm and dragged him out of the hotel._

 

_Betty drove her car like a bat out of hell, going well over the speed limit until she reached the confines of her neighborhood. She helped Chic inside, and then her parents stitched him up and gave him a place to stay. When Betty went to sleep that night, she felt glad that she had decided to go back to the motel. She hated to think what would’ve happened if she hadn’t. Her brother probably would’ve been dead. Instead, he was safe and maybe, just maybe, in the morning he and their mother could talk. They didn’t even know each other yet, but she hoped it may be a step in the right direction, a step toward mending the relationship that barely even existed between the two. She knew it was a long shot but it gave Betty a small sense of hope and that was better than nothing._

 

_***_

 

_“What if I did this? What if I brought the monster into my house? What if all of this is my fault?”_

 

“Betty,” Jughead cooed softly as he unbuckled her and pulled her into his lap. “This is not your fault. You were trying to do what was best for your family. You couldn’t have known that those people were going to give you false information or that Chic was going to be unstable. Your Mom should’ve taken care of that, instead of just blindly accepting that Chic was her son, or that everything was fine.”

 

Betty sniffled against his chest. “I was just trying to help. I just wanted my mom to be happy.”

 

Jughead tightened his hold around her delicate frame, his heart twisting at the anguish of her words. “I know babe, I know you did. We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”

 

Betty nodded as Jughead placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. As always, she relished in the feeling of safety that simply being in his arms brought her. She briefly wondered if Jughead had ever done anything in the name of making his father happy that backfired on him.

 

As he held her tightly in the cab of his truck, his love for her emanated through his limbs onto her skin, she didn’t have to ask. She already knew the answer.

 

***

 

“So Jughead, what are you studying at the university?” Alice asked.

 

Jughead swallowed the piece of sandwich that was in his mouth, chasing it down with a large gulp of Mrs. Cooper’s award winning homemade lemonade. “I’m studying English Literature & creative writing.”

 

Alice raised both of her eyebrows. “And what do you plan to do when you get out of college?”

 

Betty rolled her eyes. Even with the plan to question Chic after they all ate lunch looming over them, her mother still found the opportunity to interrogate her boyfriend.

 

And they called _her_ an enigma.

 

“I’m working on writing a novel. I plan to publish a book,” Jughead answered.

 

“Jug is actually almost finished. I’ve read some of it and it’s really good,” Betty chirped.

 

Jughead smirked at her, a warmth that was no longer unfamiliar filling his chest. He felt good about himself when Betty was proud of him.

 

“Well, still,” Alice continued, “you can’t just assume that you’ll have an income from one novel. How else do you plan to support yourself?”

 

Jughead looked Alice straight in the eye. He knew she thought she was being intimidating, and now that she had a moment to breathe, thought lowly of him. He actually had to resist the urge to laugh in her face at the fact that she thought she was having an effect on him with either. Betty put her hand on his thigh and squeezed, he knew that her mother’s line of questioning was probably taking a toll on her anxiety. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before answering, giving Betty a wink as he leaned back. She seemed to visibly relax, at least enough to go back to eating her lunch. Damn. He would always take pride in his ability to comfort and take care of her.

 

“Actually, right now I work at a auto shop fixing cars. I’m one of the only two mechanics there, so I actually bring in a decent salary with that. Once college is over, I plan to pick up some freelancing jobs, but since I won’t have to pay tuition anymore at that point, I should be able to rake in some decent income.”

 

Betty almost wanted to stick her tongue out at her mother. _See Mom? You can’t scare away my boyfriend, so keep trying._

 

“What about you, Mrs. Cooper? What do you do for a living?” Jughead asked.

 

Betty started to collect the plates from the table. The whole time that Jughead and her mother were talking, she had been keeping a close eye on Chic through her peripherals. She couldn’t really get a solid read on how he was feeling or what he could be possibly thinking in that moment. He looked uncomfortable, but she knew Chic didn’t like Jughead and saw him as a threat, so his quiet mood could be based solely on that. She placed the dishes in the sink and when she turned around, she found Chic staring at her with a sinister look on his face. Her heart stopped in her chest. Jughead’s back was to her so he couldn’t see their interaction at the moment.

 

Betty’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she silently thanked the powers above for the interruption to her creepy stare down from her (possible) half brother. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Sheriff Keller calling. She walked quickly to the other side of the house, hoping the small amount of distance would take her just out of earshot.

 

“Hello?” Betty asked.

 

_“Betty, it’s Sheriff Keller. I know I told you that I didn’t have time to do this, but something about our meeting put me on edge.”_

 

All the hairs on Betty’s body stood to attention. “W-what did you find?”

 

When Betty was at the police station and she sent her mother away so that she could speak with the Sheriff privately, she already had a sinking feeling that she had been wrong about Chic from the beginning. It was a sneaking suspicion that had been eating away at her - even before Chic had murdered the Shady man.

 

_“Sheriff Keller, I need a favor,” Betty said tentatively, twisting her hands in her lap._

 

_“What is it, Betty?”_

 

_“I was wondering if you could go to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and ask about my Mom’s file. When I was there, they barely gave me anything and now, due to this interrogation, I’m afraid....” she trailed off, her throat being constricted by her worst fears._

 

_Sheriff Keller sat straighter in his seat. “You afraid of what, Betty?”_

 

_“I’m afraid that Chic or Charles or whatever his name is isn’t really my brother,” she whispered._

 

_“What are you saying, Betty?” he asked, his voice quiet._

 

_She sighed. “I’m saying that I have had this gut feeling that the Sisters of Quiet Mercy gave me wrong information about my mother’s case. I’m saying that I think Chic has been lying this whole time about who he is.”_

 

The Sheriff had been sympathetic at the time, but he had told her that he didn’t have the time to go to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and look into the case. Not to mention, in order to find the specific answers they were looking for, he would have to get a warrant from a judge, and without probable cause, he doubted they would get one.

 

That was when Betty decided to take questioning Chic into her own hands. She knew that he would probably lie straight through his teeth, but she had to to try.

 

 _“I went to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, I wasn’t able to get a warrant on such short notice but one of the sisters there owes me a favor. I asked her for five minutes to look at your mother’s file and any information she had on the son your mom had given up for adoption,”_ the Sheriff continued. _“Betty, I hate to tell you this but I think you were right. I don’t think Chic is who he says he is.”_

 

Betty bit her lip hard to quell the rising panic in her chest. “Tell me what you found.”

 

***

 

Jughead had been so caught up in his conversation about journalism with Betty’s mother that he hadn’t noticed Betty leave the room to answer her phone. When Alice got up from the table and returned with a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies, it gave him a second to look around the kitchen. If it wasn’t for the fact that Chic had been sitting there with them the whole time, her sudden disappearance would’ve given him anxiety. Quickly, he excused himself from the table and walked to the other side of the house to look for Betty.

 

“Betts?” he called quietly.

 

Jughead found Betty standing in front of a window at the front of the house, staring at her phone.

 

“Hey, there you are,” he said as he got closer. “I didn’t even realize that you had left the kitchen. Is everything okay?”

 

A solitary tear fell down Betty’s cheek as the hand that was holding her phone began to shake.

 

“No,” she whispered. “Everything is not okay.”

 

“What are you looking at?” He walked around behind her so that he could look over her shoulder.

 

On Betty’s phone screen was a picture of a boy that Jughead didn’t recognize. The boy had strawberry blonde hair and he was wearing blue scrubs with a dark red cardigan over it.

 

“Betty who is that?” Jughead asked warily.

 

She swallowed hard, trying to regain control of her emotions so she could explain to Jughead what was going on.

 

“This is a photo of my brother, my real brother, Charles,” Betty said as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

 

Jughead’s heart began to beat hard in his chest from the shot of adrenaline that was instantly pumped into his bloodstream.

 

“How do you know that? Who sent it to you?”

 

“Sheriff Keller. I asked him to go over to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to see if they’d let him look at my mother’s old case file and they did. He said that Chic definitely was not my brother and the Sisters didn’t know the whereabouts of my real brother. He’s on his way here.”

 

Betty’s mind was whirling. Her worst nightmares were coming true. She brought a stranger into their home, a stranger that put a wedge between her parents, a stranger that killed someone, a stranger that was… dangerous.

 

Jughead spun on his heel, he wasn’t going to wait for the Sheriff to get there. Chic was a monster and he posed a threat to what mattered most to him. He had to be handled.

 

“Jughead, wait!” Betty called after him but it was too late, Jughead was almost to the kitchen.

 

He found Alice in the kitchen doing dishes and Chic was clearing what looked like the last plate from the table.

 

“You imposter!” Jughead growled.

 

Chic dropped the plate he was holding, sending it crashing to the floor as Jughead grabbed Chic by his collar and slammed him into the closest wall.

 

“What are you doing?!” Alice shrieked. “Let go of him!!!”

 

“I warned you,” Jughead yelled. “I fucking warned you that I was not the one you wanted to mess with.”

 

“Mom!” Chic yelped.

 

“Jughead release him!” Alice yelled.

 

“Mom, no,” Betty said, stepping in between Jughead and herr mother. “Chic isn’t who he says he is! Look at this photo-” Betty put the phone into her mother’s hands- “Sheriff Keller went to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. They gave him your old case file and they gave him this photo. This is your _real_ son, not Chic.”

 

Alice looked wildly between the phone and Chic who Jughead still had pinned to the wall.

 

“Chic…” Alice whispered, stepping closer to him. “Is this true? Have you been lying this whole time?”

 

Chic stared at the floor, completely despondent.

 

Annoyance flared in Jughead’s chest and he snarled, picking Chic up slightly and slamming him into the wall again as hard he could. Betty gasped as the house shook from the blow.

 

“You are going to tell Alice and Betty EVERYTHING that they want to know, or we’re going to go down into the basement and I am going to show you what real pain feels like,” Jughead threatened.

 

Chic glared at Jughead for a moment and then he burst into hysterical laughter. Shock and uneasiness flowed through Jughead’s body. That was definitely not the reaction that he was expecting. It only took a second for him to regain his composure and he used his forearm to press on Chic’s throat, compressing his airway.  

 

“Who’s laughing now?” Jughead asked as he pressed harder causing Chic to wheeze.

 

Chic glared at Jughead again but he still didn’t respond. Betty felt all the hair on her body stand to attention as goose flesh covered her skin from the feeling of nausea that rolled through her stomach. She knew that Jughead had a dark past, especially with the work he did with Cerberus. He had filled her in on very little, but he did tell her that he did some very violent things, things that he would spend the rest of his life trying to repent for. When she asked how he could bring himself to do something so terrible, Jughead had told her that it was like something came over him. Like a split personality, Jughead & Dr. Jones, so to speak. Betty knew how much Jughead loved her, she knew he would do anything to protect her and as a result, she knew that if Chic provoked Jughead enough- Jughead would physically harm Chic without a second thought.

 

Chic looked over at Betty and her mother with menacing eyes. “Yes I have been lying this whole time and as Charles quickly learned, I always have the last laugh.”

 

Chic spit in Jughead’s eyes causing Jughead’s head to snap back as he began to wipe his eyes. Chic took that opportunity to raise his leg and kick Jughead in the chest. Jughead flew a few feet back, landing on his back with a yell. Alice screamed, covering her mouth and jumping back out of fear.

 

“Jughead!” Betty yelled.

 

Betty silently prayed that Sheriff Keller was close to their house. Suddenly, Chic reached for his pocket and something silver caught Betty’s eye. She quickly realized that it was knife.

 

“Knife!” Betty yelled as she stepped in front of her mother. Chic was going to have to go through her if he was going to harm her mother.

 

Chic flipped his pocket knife open with a flick of his wrist and then advanced on Betty and her mother. Betty picked up a nearby frying pan to defend herself. She knew it would stop him from stabbing her but maybe, if she was lucky, she could knock the knife out of Chic’s hand. Jughead saw Chic go for Betty with his knife and quickly scrambled to his feet. He went up behind Chic, wrapping one arm around Chic’s throat hooking it in the crook of his elbow on his opposite arm. Chic resisted wildly, slashing out randomly with his knife, trying to aim for Jughead. Jughead lodged his foot behind Chic’s right knee, bringing them both down to the ground, hard. He put his free hand on the back of Chic’s head to complete the final step of the hold and began to squeeze. Chic continued to thrash and slash, getting Jughead in both legs and cutting his arm, but he didn’t release his hold, hoping that Chic would pass out any minute.

 

“Jughead, stop! You’re going to kill him!” Betty watched in horror as Chic face turned a violent shade of red, her hands flying over her mouth when his face began to turn from red to purple.

 

Finally, Chic’s body went limp and the knife dropped to the floor.

 

“Betty, the knife!” Jughead yelled. He wanted to get the weapon away from Chic before he released him.

 

Betty jumped forward, knocking the knife away from Chic and Jughead with her foot. Jughead released Chic’s body and got up from the floor.

 

“Did you kill him?” Alice asked, her voice shaking.

 

“No,” Jughead said panting. “I just put him to sleep. He should come to in a few minutes. Do you have anything to restrain him?”

 

“We have zip ties in the basement,” Betty offered.

 

“Go get them,” Jughead instructed.

 

Betty sprinted down to the basement, grabbing two long zip ties from her father’s workbench before racing back up the stairs. When she got to the kitchen, Jughead had already turned Chic over on to his stomach with his hands behind his back. Jughead took the zip ties from Betty and made makeshift handcuffs out of them, securing Chic’s arms behind his back. Not even a minute after Jughead secured the zip ties on Chic’s wrists, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Alice? Betty? It’s Sheriff Keller.”

 

***

 

“Ugh Betts,” Jughead groaned pleasurably. “This burger tastes amazing.”

 

Betty giggled. She promised Jughead that if they survived their trip to Riverdale that she’d take him to the infamous Pop’s Chocklit Shoppe. Growing up, she would go to Pop’s with her friends after cheerleading practice or when she was cramming for a big test in high school. Whether it was a milkshake or endless amount of coffee, Pop’s was always a place of solace for her. Stepping into to the retro diner with its red ambient light was like stepping through a force field. Once she was on the other side, she felt like nothing could touch her. Like she could just _be,_ if only for a little while.

 

She looked across the table at the very attractive man who was scarfing down a burger in a very unattractive manner and smiled. He was her solace now, her safe harbor in a storm. He was her everything.

 

Jughead looked up from his basket of fries and smirked when he caught Betty staring at him.

 

“Betts,” he said softly. “You’re staring again, babe.”

 

Betty flushed crimson and he wondered if he would ever fall out of the love with the way her cheeks stained when he teased her. He wondered if he would ever fall out of love with her at all.

 

“Incoming, my mother is here,” Betty said as she looked out the window.

 

Jughead sat up a little straighter and took a napkin off the table to wipe his face. In front of Betty, he didn’t care about his greasy fingers and a little ketchup on his chin, but he felt like he still had to look suitable in front of his girlfriend’s mother.

 

Betty felt uneasy as soon as she saw Alice walk into Pop’s. She knew she was coming from the Sheriff’s station and her face was grim. However, Betty didn’t let that get to her. It had been a long 24 hours and she imagined that anyone in her mother’s situation would look a little grim after everything they had been through.

 

“Hey Mom,” Betty greeted as her mother sat down in the seat across from them in the booth.

 

Alice sighed, rubbing her temples. “Hello Elizabeth, Jughead.”

 

Pop brought Alice a cup of coffee and she took it gratefully.

 

“How’d it go at the Sheriff’s station?” Jughead asked warily.

 

“Fine, I guess. Your bro-” Alice stopped herself, a pained expression crossing her features. “Chic has been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon as of right now. Although, Sheriff Keller suspects that he has done a lot more than that.”

 

Betty’s stomach churned. “Does Sheriff Keller know about the Shady man?”

 

Alice shook her head. “No and I don’t think Chic will talk about that. In the end, even if I go to prison for helping get rid of the body, Chic would get life in prison for first-degree murder and I don’t think he’d survive that.”

 

“Did Chic tell the Sheriff anything about why he lied about his identity?” Jughead asked.

 

Alice shrugged. “Not really. He said that technically Betty and I never asked him if he was Charles Smith so he’s going with the whole ‘lying by omission’ storyline. He said he was just trying to con the two of us until he got what he wanted.”

 

“Which was what exactly?” Betty asked.

 

“Money,” Alice answered simply. “Chic knew that Hal and I owned the Riverdale Register and he was banking on me getting a good settlement from our divorce and he was right. However, how he planned to steal said money from me is still a mystery. The Sheriff was in the middle of questioning him about that particular piece just as I was leaving the station.”

 

Betty nodded, sighing heavily as she laced her fingers into Jughead’s under the table. She still thought that Chic was crazy, but at least now they knew that he probably never meant any of them physical harm- he just wanted to steal from them. She still felt a large amount of guilt and probably would for the rest of her life about bringing Chic into their home, but at least now she knew she hadn’t brought a violent monster into their lives.

 

Betty looked across the table at her mother and for the first time in her entire life, Alice looked tired. Growing up, her mother was all about high expectations and bright, faux smiles. Betty wondered if her mother ever thought her life would end up like this when she was Betty’s age. She tried to picture her mother at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, pregnant and alone. Betty wondered how her mother could have given up her first born child, but at the time, Betty knew that deep down her mother thought she was doing the very best for her child. It’s what all mothers all over the world did for their children, give selflessly for their child every single day.

 

“Mom,” Betty said softly. “Did the Sheriff ask Chic about Charles?”

 

“Sheriff Keller did ask Chic about Charles. It turns out that Charles lived with Chic for a short amount of time after they left the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. According to Chic, they got into a disagreement and Charles left Riverdale. There’s no record of where he went, so Sheriff Keller forwarded me a few names of private investigators should I want to find him.”

 

Chic’s words haunted the three of them, a shiver running down their spines.

 

_Yes, I have been lying this whole time and as Charles quickly learned, I always have the last laugh._

 

“Will you?” Jughead questioned gently. “Look for him?”

 

“I don’t know. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about why Charles didn’t come here himself or even reach out when he turned eighteen. I wonder if… if maybe he doesn’t want to be found,” Alice admitted.

 

Jughead’s heart twisted painfully, memories of being abandoned by his own mother stirring up in his chest. He was a grown man now and even though he was thirteen when his mother left him and his father, Jughead wondered if he would want to see his mother again after all this time. He didn’t think he would reach out on his own because if she rejected him again, he didn’t think his psyche could take it, but if she reached out to him on her own? That, he supposed, would be different.

 

“If it were me Mrs. Cooper? I would want to be found,” Jughead confessed, his voice just above a whisper.

 

Betty gave Jughead’s hand a gentle squeeze and he leaned over to press a gentle kiss to the side of her forehead.

 

He looked at her then, her gorgeous green eyes and brilliant reassuring smile, the kind of smile that reminded him that he didn’t have to go through any of this alone brought him back to his original question before Betty’s mother walked in.

 

Would he ever tire of his beautiful broken girl? Would he fall out of love with her some point down the road?

 

The two of them, two aimless souls on this mortal plane, a plane where man was destined to grow, to age and to die, found each other. When he was little, he used to lie awake at night and dream about what his life would become when he was older. He knew he wanted to be a hard worker like his father and he wanted to be smart like his mother. Maybe he would be a screenplay director, maybe he would be an author, maybe he would be an astronaut. Who knew. However, at the young age of seven years old, what he really wished for was love. Not the kind of love he saw in romance films that he scrunched his nose up at, no, the kind of love that was fierce, overwhelming and kept him awake at night. He wanted a love so powerful that it changed him. He could only hope that someday, somewhere, the universe would send someone that was meant only for him.

 

He smiled to himself, teasing himself for the silly thoughts he had even as a young boy. The truth was, he didn’t think he’d ever fall out of love with Betty because he never really fell into love with her to begin with. They started off as enemies, well sort of, he loved to torture her in class debates and he despised her overly sweet personality. Betty had never been someone he would ever consider being friends with, they were just too opposite for that to be possible. But then she surprised him, and one morning not too long after that they got together, he realized that he _grew_ into love with her. Sure, they had an undeniable connection, but from watching his parents’ marriage fall apart, he knew that a ‘connection’ didn’t always mean anything. Their love for each other would never be perfect, but the truth was he didn’t want it to be that way. He enjoyed that their love was messy, he appreciated that their love was built on hardwork and sacrifice. No, he didn’t need nor did he want a simple, easy love. All he really cared about was that no matter what darkness came their way, that they faced it together, and that they continued to choose each other at the beginning and the end of every single day.

 

 _No,_ he thought, he would never tire of her and would never fall out of love with her. That much he was sure of. He would continue to grow with her, taking each moment, good or bad, one at time.

 

He kissed her again but this time on the lips.

 

Betty giggled. “What was that for?”

 

“For your flashlight and following me in the dark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> I can't believe this is the second to last chapter!!! :( I started this story at the end of March and never in a million years could I have imagined where it would've taken me. Especially since In the Dark was the first story I wrote while also having a Tumblr. Anyways, I'll leave all my sappy comments for the epilogue! 
> 
> What did you all think of this chapter?! Did you like how I wrapped things up with Chic? Also, speaking of the epilogue, I have an "idea" of what I would like to write but I figured I'd ask all of you. Since I'm writing an epilogue what are somethings you'd like to see/read about for these two? No promises I can include it all but I'd love to write some of your suggestions!!! 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments!!! 
> 
> P & B, 
> 
> -Peyton


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